EPA lays pollution charges against factory

Victoria's environmental regulator has accused an e-waste recycling company of causing water and atmospheric pollution after a fire in Melbourne's north.

The Environment Protection Authority on Friday laid 12 charges against MRI Pty Ltd in relation to a fire that allegedly polluted Merlynston Creek and Foden Reserve in August 2020.

MRI was also charged with contravening conditions of its licence relating to the storage of e-waste at its Campbellfield factory.

The company faces a maximum penalty of $396,528 for these offences.

MRI's factory blaze sent out toxic smoke and took 75 firefighters roughly five hours to extinguish.

The EPA last year found the firm was storing waste in excess of its licence limit in March and directed it to stop accepting any more until back under the threshold.

A show-cause notice was later issued by the EPA, demanding MRI explain why its licence should not be suspended.

Melbourne has experienced several large-scale industrial fires, with warehouses full of illegally stored toxic chemicals erupting in flames at West Footscray and Campbellfield in 2018 and 2017.