In the interests of accuracy - NOFF / EPA correspondence

There has been considerable public and media interest in recent correspondence between NOFF and the Tasmanian EPA. Some of the debate has lacked detail, and caused confusion. To ensure fairness and accuracy, for us and the EPA, here is the text of the most recent email from the EPA, and the text of our communications to them.

3 March 2025 EPA to NOFF:

Dear Jess

Thanks for your interest in the EPA's investigation into biological material found on southern beaches in Tas, and for your patience. I acknowledge the emails you sent us on 16, 19, 20, and 25 February 2025. I do appreciate your efforts to provide information to the EPA, including the call you made to our Pollution Hotline on Saturday 1 March. I can advise an EPA officer deployed to Bruny Island on Sunday, confirmed the presence of oily globules, and collected samples that will be submitted for testing today.

You will already have seen it but in any case, I attach for your convenience a media statement about the investigation issued late last week. I will issue another update later this week and note for now that the EPA will be continuing water and land-based surveillance activities this week, including collecting further samples of material that has been found in the Verona Sands area for testing, as necessary, and other material relevant to the investigation. As I hope you can appreciate, aside from what has been publicly communicated in the media statement, I cannot comment further on the specifics of the investigation because to do so may prejudice the outcomes.

I can however advise that the EPA is liaising with other relevant regulators including Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania (fish and wildlife health, biosecurity) and the Department of Health. Advice on these areas is a matter for these agencies. The current Department of Health advice is not to handle the material, to wash your hands if you do, and not to undertake recreational activities where the material is obviously present. This advice is based on what is known about the material to date, and the general principle of not handling dead animal parts that encountered in the environment.

I note that there are several waste facilities across the State, regulated by local Councils and the EPA, which are approved, subject to conditions, to receive and treat and/or dispose of these mortalities. These facilities include landfills, compost facilities, rendering or ensilage units. In some cases, localCouncils, also having powers under the Environmental Management and Pollution Control Act 1994, may have given approval to apply mortalities directly to agricultural land via land-spreading or shallow burial. In addition, since deceased fish are a controlled waste under Tasmanian law, transporters must be registered with the EPA as Controlled Waste Transporters, specifically for that type of waste.

Please continue to direct any reports of oil globules or other material on shorelines to the EPA's Pollution Hotline 1800 005 171 or create an online report at https://epa.tas.gov.au/Pages/Make-a-Report.aspx

If you wish to discuss this matter further, please feel free to contact me.

Kind regards

Cindy Ong (she, her) | Acting Director and Chief Executive Officer
Environment Protection Authority

Further information from secretary@noff.au