Environment protection orders
Environment protection orders (EPOs) can be issued by authorised officers under section 93(1) of the EP Act:
- for the purpose of securing compliance with either:
- the general environmental duty
- mandatory provisions of an Environment Protection Policy
- a condition of an environmental authorisation
- a condition of a beverage container approval
- any other requirement imposed by or under the EP Act.
- for the purpose of giving effect to an Environment Protection Policy.
Conviction for water contamination
The EPA successfully prosecuted a Mount Barker company for discharge of hydrocarbon-contaminated water, a listed pollutant, into stormwater.
The company was fined and ordered to pay costs for the breach of the Environment Protection (Water Quality) Policy 2003.
‘A conviction sends a message of deterrence to those individuals who might consider such illegal action.’ Andrew Wood, Executive Director Operations, EPA, Waste Management & Environment, April 2014
Police officers are authorised under the EP Act and generally use EPOs to deal with complaints about noise (for example, loud music) from domestic premises. Some local government officers are also authorised under the EP Act, but this authority is limited to the council area in which they are employed. Table 9 shows EPOs for 2013–14 and compares with previous years.
Table 9—Environment protection orders
| EPOs recorded | 2010–11 | 2011–12 | 2012–13 | 2013–14 |
| EPA | 15 | 21 | 19 | 12 |