Shell pleaded guilty to a charge of water pollution under the Environment Protection Act in the Geelong Magistrates Court. Shell Geelong Refinery Manager, Huck Poh, said the leak was regrettable. “This was a frustrating event because we were, at the time, developing plans to improve our system reliability,” said Huck. “We now have measures in place to help prevent this event reoccurring. “We have an obligation to protect the environment and this is a responsibility that we take very seriously. “Over the past two years we have invested tens of millions of dollars on environmental improvements and further funding is in the pipeline. “We have a dedicated environmental team who work closely with the EPA in an effort to meet all expectations. “The figures and the facts show clearly that our environmental performance is improving all the time and we look forward to building upon this trend,” he said. The refinery was ordered to pay $50,000 to Conservation Volunteers Australia for environment restoration work and conservation initiatives at Serendip Wildlife Reserve. “We are pleased that the penalty imposed will be used to train young people from the Norlane and Corio area in wetland restoration at the Serendip Wildlife Reserve in Lara,” said Huck. “Shell has a long history with the project’s coordinator, Conservation Volunteers Australia, and the work to improve Brolga enclosures is certainly valuable,” he said. ENDS
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