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North Shore acid spill a $150k mess
A truck driver who drove away from a spill of sulphuric acid in Geelong has been fined $50,000 and ordered to pay nearly $95,000 for the clean up, as well as thousands in court costs.
Environment Protection Authority Victoria (EPA) prosecuted Wallan man Charles Roy Johnson over the spill of more than 1,000 litres of sulphuric acid into a roadside drain on Madden Avenue, North Shore.
The Melbourne Magistrates’ Court heard that Mr Johnson had pulled over to fix a problem with his windscreen wipers, then smoked a cigarette before continuing on his way, but did not notice that the load of acid was steadily leaking into a roadside drain.