Western Australian Current Acts

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION ACT 1986 - SECT 65

65 .         Environmental protection notices, issue and effect of

        (1)         If the CEO suspects on reasonable grounds that —

            (a)         there is, or is likely to be, an emission from any premises, and the emission —

                  (i)         does not comply with or would not if it were emitted comply with a standard required by or under an approved policy or a prescribed standard; or

                  (ii)         has caused or is likely to cause pollution;

                or

            (b)         a person is doing, or is likely to do, an act in contravention of section 50A or 50B on any premises; or

            (c)         an activity on premises does not comply with a standard required by or under an approved policy or a prescribed standard,

                the CEO may cause to be given to the owner or the occupier, or both the owner and the occupier, of the premises a notice (an environmental protection notice ) in respect of the premises.

        (1a)         An environmental protection notice may require a person bound by it to do any one or more of the following —

            (a)         investigate the extent and nature of —

                  (i)         the emission and its consequences; or

                  (ii)         the pollution and its consequences; or

                  (iii)         the environmental harm and its consequences;

            (b)         prepare and implement a plan for the prevention, control or abatement of —

                  (i)         the emission; or

                  (ii)         the pollution; or

                  (iii)         the environmental harm;

            (c)         take such measures as the CEO considers necessary to —

                  (i)         prevent, control or abate the emission; or

                  (ii)         prevent, control or abate the pollution; or

                  (iii)         prevent, control or abate the environmental harm; or

                  (iv)         comply with the standard;

            (d)         ensure that the amount of waste, noise, odour or electromagnetic radiation emitted from the premises, or the concentration of that waste, noise, odour or electromagnetic radiation when measured at a point specified in the environmental protection notice, does not exceed the limit specified in the notice;

            (e)         monitor the effectiveness of actions taken under paragraph (a), (b), (c) or (d);

            (f)         report to the CEO on any action taken under paragraph (a), (b), (c), (d) or (e) and its outcome.

        (1b)         An environmental protection notice may require a person bound by it to do the matters referred to in subsection (1a) in accordance with an approval, direction or requirement of a type specified in the notice by a person specified in the notice.

        (2)         An environmental protection notice —

            (a)         is to specify —

                  (i)         the name and address of the person on whom it is served; and

                  (ii)         the reason for which it is served; and

                  (iii)         a description of the relevant premises and the location of the premises sufficient to identify both; and

                  (iv)         the period within which the investigation is to be completed, the plan is to be prepared and the measures are to be taken; and

                  (v)         the frequency of information to be reported to the CEO;

                and

            (b)         is to describe —

                  (i)         the form of the investigation to be undertaken; and

                  (ii)         the form of the plan to be prepared and implemented; and

                  (iii)         the measures to be taken; and

                  (iv)         the form of the monitoring to be undertaken; and

                  (v)         the content and form of information to be reported to the CEO.

        (3)         An environmental protection notice —

            (a)         while it subsists, binds each owner or occupier to whom it is given; and

            (b)         while it remains registered under section 66, binds each successive owner or occupier of the land to which the environmental protection notice relates.

        (4)         The CEO may by notice in writing served on every person bound by an environmental protection notice revoke the environmental protection notice or, subject to subsections (6) and (7), amend it —

            (a)         by extending the period within which a requirement contained in the environmental protection notice is to be complied with if the CEO is satisfied that the circumstances of the case justify such an extension; or

            (b)         by revoking or amending any requirement contained in the environmental protection notice.

        (4a)         A person who —

            (a)         is bound by an environmental protection notice; and

            (b)         intentionally or with criminal negligence does not comply with a requirement contained in the environmental protection notice,

                commits an offence.

        (5)         A person who is bound by an environmental protection notice and who does not comply with a requirement contained in the notice commits an offence.

        (5a)         A person charged with committing an offence against subsection (4a) may be convicted of an offence against subsection (5) which is established by the evidence.

        (6)         The CEO shall, before exercising in respect of a person the power of amendment conferred by subsection (4), afford the person a reasonable opportunity to show cause in writing why that power should not be exercised in respect of the person.

        (7)         An opportunity is not a reasonable opportunity within the meaning of subsection (6) unless the relevant person is informed in writing of the person’s right to show cause under that subsection not less than 21 days before the day on which the CEO exercises the power in question.

        (8)         In this section —

        specified means specified in the environmental protection notice concerned.

        [Section 65 amended: No. 14 of 1998 s. 7; No. 54 of 2003 s. 45(1)-(3), 46 and 140(2); No. 40 of 2020 s. 111(1).]



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