EPA issues notice over acrid odour offending Preston residents

The smell of coffee is a welcome part of many of our mornings…

But for Preston residents who are smelling it night and day, it’s proving less than pleasant.

The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) has issued a new remedial notice to UCC Coffee Australia, which trades as Mocopan, over its Albert Street roasting house.

It comes after complains from residents about offensive odours emanating from the site.

EPA Northern Metro Manager Jeremy Settle says it’s not the pleasant scent that comes from your morning brew.

“When you’re dealing with this kind of volume and concentration of the odour it actually changes to a more acrid kind of burning toast, burning coffee, and it really lingers, and it’s been drifting into a number of residents’ homes,” he told Neil Mitchell.

“The company hasn’t been taking all steps to eliminate odour.”

The EPA issued an initial remedial notice to the company in February 2021, ordering Mocopan to improve its odour emissions controls, but the company has not done so.

In addition to taking action to reduce the odour, the new notice requires Mocopan to provide monthly updates to the community on the actions it’s taking to address the odour problem.

Press PLAY below to hear what the EPA has ordered

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