Hannah Hammoud
Melbourne businesses, including those in Hume and Whittlesea who are suspected of illegally transporting or storing waste tyres will be the subject of a series of snap EPA Victoria inspections throughout May and June.
EPA will be targeting businesses identified through the EPA Waste Tracker system as potentially non-compliant with their tracking obligations.
EPA Metropolitan Melbourne Regional Director, Rachel Gualano said that in Victoria waste tyres are classified as a ‘Reportable Priority Waste’ and must be tracked by the EPA Waste Tracker system when transported from one site to another.
“EPA Waste Tracker tracks waste through every step of its journey; from the generator, to the transporter through to the end user or disposal point,” she said.
“If there’s a gap in the Waste Tracker trail, EPA can see it and use that intel to pinpoint where along that journey the trail breaks. Which is how we have a good understanding of which businesses to prioritise in the upcoming waste tyre inspection program.
“Waste Tracker is an important tool in preventing hidden waste crime, by ensuring that high-risk wastes are transported to permissioned facilities that have controls to manage those wastes safely and effectively.”
Tyres that are poorly stored or managed pose a significant risk to the environment. Degrading tyres leach contaminants to the environment and become havens to weeds and pests. Tyre fires are particularly difficult because of the harmful smoke they emit and how hard they are to extinguish.
Ms Gualano said that over the years EPA has cleaned up several tyre stockpiles.
“… But it’s at a cost to the community when it should be the responsibility of the person or business that took in the tyres in the first place,” she said.
“Our inspection campaign will enforce the use of Waste Tracker as a compulsory system for the transport of Reportable Priority Waste. If we find that businesses aren’t compliant, we will take further regulatory action.”
