Environment Protection Authority v Pullinger [2021] NSWLEC 144

Land and Environment Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Environment Protection Authority v Pullinger [2021] NSWLEC 144 Hearing dates: 14-16, 22, 23 September 2021 Decision date: 09 December 2021 Jurisdiction: Class 4 Before: Pain J Decision: See [164]-[166] of judgment Catchwords: POLLUTION – recovery of clean-up costs incurred by authority for pollution incident in 2018 as a debt under s 105(1) Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997 – escape of PFAS contaminated water following heavy rainfall from former waste oil treatment site – whether reasonable costs and expenses incurred by authority POLLUTION – recovery of clean-up cost incurred by authority for suspected pollution incident in 2020 as a debt under s 105(1) Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997 – potential escape of PFAS contaminated water from former waste oil treatment site – whether reasonable costs and expenses incurred by authority Legislation Cited: Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW), s 100 Interpretation Act 1987 (NSW), s 33 Land and Environment Court Act 1979 (NSW), s 20 Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997 (NSW), ss 3, 6, 92, 104, 105, 257, 308, Dictionary Cases Cited: Associated Provincial Picture Houses Ltd v Wednesbury Corp [1948] 1 KB 223 CIC Insurance Ltd v Bankstown Football Club Ltd (1997) 187 CLR 384; [1997] HCA 2 Environment Protection Authority v Mistring Pty Ltd (2013) 82 NSWLR 784; [2013] NSWLEC 9 Hamod v State of New South Wales [2011] NSWCA 375 Kalls Enterprises Pty Ltd (in liq) v Baloglow (No 3) [2007] NSWCA 298 Kempsey Shire Council v Slade (2015) 214 LGERA 214; [2015] NSWLEC 135 Kempsey Shire Council v Slade (No 2) [2017] NSWLEC 10 Maelstrale v Aspite (No 2) [2014] NSWCA 302 Maritime Services Board of New South Wales v Posiden Navigation Incorporated; Maritime Services Board of New South Wales v Liberian Cross Transports Incorporated [1982] 1 NSWLR 72 Mills v Meeking (1990) 169 CLR 214; [1990] HCA 6 Minister for Immigration and Border Protection v SZVFW (2018) 264 CLR 541; [2018] HCA 30 Minister for Immigration and Citizenship v Li (2013) 249 CLR 332; [2013] HCA 18 SAS Trustee Corporation v Miles (2018) 265 CLR 137; [2018] HCA 55 Slade v Kempsey Shire Council (2018) 231 LGERA 1; [2018] NSWCA 25 Sydney Seaplanes Pty Ltd v Page [2021] NSWCA 204 SZTAL v Minister for Immigration and Border Protection (2017) 262 CLR 362; [2017] HCA 34 Whitfield v Melenewycz (2016) 92 NSWLR 624; [2016] NSWCA 235 Texts Cited: New South Wales Environment Protection Authority, Waste Avoidance and Resource Recovery Strategy, (12 December 2018) Practice Note – Pre-Judgment Interest Rates Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade References Committee, Inquiry into firefighting foam contamination Part A – RAAF Base Williamtown, (February 2016) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Environment Protection Authority (Applicant) Robert Lenard Pullinger (Respondent) Representation: Counsel: F Berglund (Applicant) R Pullinger (Respondent) Solicitors: Hunt & Hunt Lawyers (Applicant) File Number(s): 2020/300575