With the grain harvest reaching completion, EPA Victoria says the grain industry in the northwest must make sure its handling and transport operations don't make dust a hazardous, unwanted by-product.
EPA's Northwest Regional Manager Paul Ratajczyk says industrial sources of dust represent an unnecessary hazard to people's health and the environment.
"In previous years EPA has taken compliance and enforcement action where poor management of these facilities has affected local residents, including reduced visibility on major roads, creating a safety hazard," Mr Ratajczyk said.
"There's no special trick to dust control in the grain industry. Keeping heavy truck traffic to roads that are sealed or regularly sprayed with water or dust suppressant, limiting speed on gravel roads, and using screens, enclosed systems or pumps to stop dust escaping machinery can all make a difference," Mr Ratajczyk said.
"Under the Environment Protection Act's General Environmental Duty (GED), the companies, like every Victorian, have a legal responsibility to take all reasonable measures to prevent pollution," he said.
"EPA officers inspecting grain handling and transport operations will be looking for sensible preventative measures, well maintained equipment and reasonable efforts made to minimise dust impacts."
Breathing in dust can affect people's health, especially vulnerable groups such as babies, young children and older people, and those with lung and heart conditions.
Under the GED, the grain industry has a responsibility to identify risks and do everything that's reasonable to minimise them, and in the lead up to the harvest season, EPA conducted preventative inspections of grain receival facilities across the Northwest region.
The operators of grain facilities were expected to have identified risks, implemented controls, regularly checked that the controls were working, and ensured workers on the site had the right training.
EPA also expects the operators to take into account that each day can be different, by checking weather forecasts, transport movements and site conditions.
The EPA website has practical advice for any business whose activities can produce dust, at: epa.vic.gov.au/control-dust-your-business
Members of the public can report pollution by calling EPA's 24-hour hotline on 1300 372 842 or providing details online at epa.vic.gov.au/report-pollution/reporting-pollution
