Craig Carroll was charged with 11 offences related to failing to ensure that the company complied with the state?s Environmental Protection Act.
The Queensland Minister for Environment and Heritage Protection Andrew Powell said the sand quarry company, Vicisa Sarkat Pty Ltd, pleaded guilty to the 11 charges.
“The company was also fined $75,000 and ordered to pay $3531.73 in legal and investigative costs,” Powell said.
Carroll, the sole company director and shareholder, failed to appear in court to face the charges and was convicted by the court in his absence.
The sand quarry, which is located north west of Ipswich, was deemed a risk to the surrounding environment after orders from the Department of Environment and Heritage Protection (EHP) were ignored by Vicisa Sarkat Pty Ltd.
The department issued a number of orders that required the company to undertake works to prevent discharges from the site but inspections by EHP officers in 2010 and 2011 confirmed none of the required work had been completed.
In October 2010, sediment-contaminated water was observed discharging from the site into nearby Running Creek.
Powell said the department had no choice but to undertake emergency works in December 2010 to minimise the release of contaminated water from the site.
“The Queensland Government will not tolerate companies that continuously fail to comply with the department’s orders and put the environment at risk,” he said.
“The directors of these companies must also take their environmental obligations seriously or face the consequences.”