Role statement - Environmental Protection Authority

Environment Protection Authority

The Environment Protection Authority (EPA) provides a technical support agency role in Victoria’s emergency management arrangements. Technical advice is provided before, during and after emergencies to the Control agency, government, industry and the community through scientific, engineering and regulatory expertise on the environmental and public health impacts of pollution and waste.

The Chief Environmental Scientist (CES) has an important role during emergencies involving significant pollution consequences by supporting the Emergency Management Commissioner (EMC), State Controller and Chief Health Officer (CHO) with expert advice on the practical measures to protect the environment and public health from the impacts of pollution and waste. The CES also provides a trusted and authoritative public face for the communication of complex pollution and waste advice.

Mitigation

Activity	Critical task alignment / activity source
Provide technical support in the prevention, mitigation and risk reduction of pollution and waste emergencies by applying and enforcing the Environment Protection Act, including:
work with government, industry and community to help identify and manage significant waste and pollution risks	1.2, 1.4
support regional and state emergency management planning.	1.2
manage systems for the transport of priority waste from generation to disposal	10.4, 16.8
equip government, industry and community with best practice guidance and practical tools to prevent pollution and manage waste	4.5, 4.6
Participating agency for the following bushfire mitigation activity: community education, awareness and engagement to prevent and respond to bushfire and bushfire smoke	Table 8: Participating agencies for mitigation
Participating agency for the following hazardous materials (including industrial waste) incident mitigation activities: reduction/substitution of HAZMAT use (including inventory minimisation) HAZMAT storage design and maintenance (including transport design) HAZMAT transport requirements (e.g. prohibitions, material volume and selection, route and timing selection, transport mode, stakeholder engagement (e.g. WorkSafe Victoria, FRV, DTP, CFA, transporter, receiver)) support pre-transport consequence modelling and readiness Dangerous Goods transporter maintenance, training, licensing, inspection etc. (road/rail/marine, pipeline) - licence for transport of hazardous waste Legislation, regulation and enforcement (e.g. Major Hazard Facilities, Dangerous Goods Code preventative requirements, waste facilities), supported by audits and inspection	Table 8: Participating agencies for mitigation

Response (including Relief)

Activity	Critical task alignment / activity source
Lead Response Support Agency (RSA) for the functional area of environment and environmental public health impact (air, land and water quality)	Table 10: Support agencies for response
Relief Lead Agency (RelLA) to: develop and provide public health advice	Table 12: Relief coordination
As a technical support agency:
respond to and assess reports of pollution from the community, industry, government agencies and emergency services	3.2, 4.4, 16.2
provide expert advice to the Chief Health Officer on the risks of pollution and waste on public health, as required	4.5, 4.6, 13.2, 13.3
support the control agencies and support agencies with powers under the Environment Protection Act where required	3.2
in cooperation with the control agency, provide advice to the community on the harmful effects of pollution and waste and recommend actions to protect public health	2.1, 2.3, 13.2, 13.5
provide advice to the control agency and support agencies on risks to the environment and public health, and the practical measures to reduce environmental and public health impacts of pollution and waste from the emergency and response activities	4.5, 4.6, 13.1, 13.2
provide environmental monitoring to inform the provision of advice in coordination with other support agencies	16.2
receive notifications for fish deaths, assess and triage reports, make interagency notifications, issue public information where required, and undertake a regional investigation with support of local agencies where practicable, to determine the cause of the fish death event before identification and transfer to the relevant agency for ongoing management. [1]	2.3, 4.4, 4.5, 11.2, 18.2, 18.4 Table 18: Recovery coordination: Natural environment

Recovery

Activity	Critical task alignment / activity source
Recovery Lead Agency (RecLA) to develop and provide public health advice	4.5, 13.3, 13.4, 13.5, Table 14: Recovery coordination: For services across all environments
Recovery Lead Agency (RecLA) to: coordinate the clean-up for fish death event due to natural causes on public waterways (non-commercial fish populations and excluding disease outbreaks) [2]	Table 18: Recovery coordination: Natural environment
Recovery Support Agency (RecSA) to: DH to provide and promote advice on wellbeing in recovery for Environmental Public Health	Table 15: Recovery coordination: Social environment
Recovery Support Agency (RecSA) to: ERV to coordinate approved state-led or supported clean-up respective asset owner or managing agency in the assessment, restoration, clean-up and rehabilitation of public buildings and assets where an agency is the owner or manager of that respective building or asset	Table 17: Recovery coordination: Built environment
Recovery Support Agency (RecSA) to: the relevant land manager to coordinate clean-up activities for the disposal of deceased animals (domestic, native and feral) DEECA to provide waste pollution management strategies	Table 18: Recovery coordination: Natural environment
CMAs and DEECA to provide advice and information services to recovery agencies, Councils, duty holders and community on; the environmental and public health impacts of pollution and waste, environmental clean-up methods and appropriate disposal of waste	4.5, 4.6, 13.1, 13.2, 13.5
Provide a technical support agency role through approvals under the Environment Protection Act	4.6, 13.2, 13.3

Assurance and Learning

Activity	Critical task alignment / activity source
Provide technical support in the prevention, mitigation and risk reduction of pollution and waste emergencies by undertaking regulatory, enforcement and investigative activities under the Environment Protection Act	21.1

Footnotes

1. For example, if it is determined to be the result of a pollution event, EPA will conduct the regulatory action as per its role. If it is determined to be a natural event, EPA will provide clean-up and waste management advice to the asset manager. The EPA will advise on the required management actions following assessment based on the information available and communicate this to agencies. Management action may include:

Identification and transfer to the relevant agency for ongoing management, (e.g. asset manager or lead agency nominated in the State Emergency Management Plan).
Stakeholder communications – EPA will liaise with the VFA and other agencies to facilitate effective communication with key stakeholder groups (e.g. fishers).
Clean-up and waste management advice to the asset manager.
Referral to another agency for follow up investigation under other legislation.

2. EPA will initially lead the investigation to determine the likely cause of a fish death event, in accordance with EPA publication 1793 Response Guide for Fish Death Events. Refer to Natural and Cultural Heritage Rehabilitation core capability (critical task 18.4), for more information.