Graham Leslie White, who hoarded so much illegal toxic waste that it distorted the size of the Australian hazardous waste materials market, is being charged for endangering the lives of the firefighters who fought a blaze at his West Footscray warehouse two years ago.
Mr White is facing up to five years imprisonment for allegedly creating the hazardous situation which led to the fire, which subsequently affected Melbourne’s air quality and was responsible for contaminating waterways nearby.
As many as 750 firefighters spent a fortnight across August and September putting out the fire safely, which was the result of illegally stored solvents and other chemicals, alongside asbestos-lined gas cylinders. The fire was the largest industrial fire in the state since the Coode Island disaster, which was the result of lightning striking a 600,000-litre chemical storage tank filled with acrylonitrile. Comparatively, the Coode Island fire took only three days and 120 firefighters to bring under control.
The United Firefighters Union has welcomed the announcement of charges against Mr Leslie, with secretary Peter Marshall explaining that the misconduct of the accused was directly responsible for risking the health and safety of the firefighters who attended the scene. A large number of the firefighters have since reported ongoing illnesses after their exposure to toxic substances at the site.
“We look forward to seeing the charges heard through the justice system,” Mr Marshall said. “At the end of the day, this kind of action sends a very strong message that firefighters and other emergency services personnel are not disposable commodities,” he said.
WorkSafe has filed an additional 26 new charges against a former employee of Mr White for being involved in the illegal activity at the site, as well as a number of other sites across the state.
“WorkSafe further alleges at each site White failed to take reasonable precautions to prevent leakage of dangerous goods and failed to take reasonable precautions to prevent damage to property or danger to the public incurred by an accident involving dangerous goods,” a spokesman said.
“White also faces three aggravated charges, with WorkSafe further alleging that White knew, or ought to have known, that each of his failings would likely endanger the safety or health of another person, property or the environment.”
Mr White is also facing at least 55 other charges from WorkSafe, in addition to charges brought by the Environmental Protection Authority. The matter is set for a filing hearing in the Melbourne Magistrates Court next Wednesday.