Western Australian Current Acts

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION ACT 1986 - SECT 90

90 .         Powers of inspectors to obtain information

        (1)         An inspector may —

            (a)         direct the occupier of any premises from which there has been, is, or is likely to be, an emission, or onto which any waste has been or is being discharged, to produce to the inspector —

                  (i)         any books or other sources of information relating to that emission or to any manufacturing, industrial or trade processes carried on at those premises; or

                  (ii)         any data from any monitoring equipment or monitoring programme in respect of that emission;

                or

            (b)         direct any person to produce to the inspector any books or other sources of information in the custody or possession of that person relating to —

                  (i)         any emission; or

                  (ii)         the manufacture, sale or distribution for sale of any prescribed equipment or material.

        (2)         An inspector may direct a person to produce to the inspector any licence, registration, permit, approval, certificate or authority granted and issued under this Act to the person or alleged by the person to have been so granted and issued.

        (3)         An inspector may —

            (a)         conduct any examination or inquiry the inspector considers necessary to ascertain whether there has been compliance with the Act; and

            (b)         question any person to ascertain whether or not there has been compliance with this Act and direct that person to do either or both of the following —

                  (i)         answer any question put to the person;

                  (ii)         produce any books or other sources of information in the custody or possession of that person relating to compliance with the Act.

        (4)         A direction given under subsection (1), (2) or (3)(b)(ii) —

            (a)         must be given in writing to the person required to produce the document, books or other sources of information or data; and

            (b)         must specify the time at which, or the period within which, the document, books or other sources of information or data are to be produced to the inspector; and

            (c)         may require that the document, books or other sources of information or data be produced to the inspector —

                  (i)         at a place specified in the direction; and

                  (ii)         by a means specified in the direction.

        (5)         A direction under subsection (3)(b)(i) —

            (a)         may be given orally or in writing; and

            (b)         must specify the time at which, or period within which, the answer must be given to the inspector; and

            (c)         may require any of the following —

                  (i)         that the answer be given orally or in writing;

                  (ii)         if the answer is directed to be given in writing, be given by means specified in the direction;

                  (iii)         that the answer be verified by a statutory declaration.

        (6)         A person who does not comply with a direction given to the person under subsection (1), (2) or (3) commits an offence.

        (7)         An inspector may do any of the following in relation to any books or other sources of information or data produced to the inspector in compliance with a direction under this section —

            (a)         examine them;

            (b)         take copies of or data or extracts from them;

            (c)         download or print them out.

        (8)         An inspector may record an answer given orally under this section, including by making an audiovisual recording.

        [Section 90 inserted: No. 40 of 2020 s. 73.]