The owners of the Vales Point Power Station at Lake Macquarie could face a $1 million fine relating to a fish kill near the power plant last year.
The NSW Environment Protection Authority is alleging that Delta Electricity failed to maintain their chlorine dosing plant properly which resulted in a faulty valve that caused a discharge of concentrated sodium hypochlorite into waters leading to Wyee Bay.
NSW EPA Chief Executive Tony Chappel said the prosecution of Delta Electricity follows a comprehensive investigation that found the fish kill in September 2022 could’ve been prevented if the adequate processes were in place.
“Alongside the community, we expect Delta to meet high standards given the proximity of Vales Point Power Station to Lake Macquarie.
“Our investigation found that Delta could’ve prevented the fish kill if they had adequate equipment and processes in place.
“We’re pleased that Delta has upgraded their systems and the water quality in the Lake has returned to normal levels.
“We will continue to ensure Delta acts in accordance with its environmental responsibilities to prevent future events and protect the environment in Lake Macquarie.
“We know this was a distressing event for the community and I want to thank them for their patience as we worked through the investigation.”
As a result of the faulty valve, Delta breached their environment protection licence and could face penalties of up to $1 million – after the fish kill event last year, the EPA arranged for a Smart Buoy data logger to be installed to monitor water quality that has since returned to normal levels.