The NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) has issued two penalty notices totalling $60,000 and an official caution to a Western Sydney company for allegedly storing rubber waste tyres improperly and creating a serious fire hazard.
During an inspection of the Clean Earth Tyre Recycling premises in June, EPA officers discovered the company was stockpiling waste tyres above its licence limits and storing them in a way that heightened the risk of fire.
NSW Director of Operations Jacinta Hanemann said tyre stockpiles at the company’s St Marys waste facility did not comply with the Fire & Rescue NSW Guideline for Bulk Storage of Rubber Tyres, which requires manageable tyre stack sizes, with adequate separation distances and access for firefighting equipment.
“When staff inspected the Clean Earth Tyre Recycling premises in June, they estimated around 150 tonnes of waste tyres were stockpiled at the site. That’s 100 tonnes over the limit allowed under the company’s licence,” Ms Hanemann said.
“In addition to the excess stockpiles, staff found the tyres were not being stored properly, with some stacked against internal walls and in tall and heavy piles.
“Compliance with tyre storage regulations is absolutely critical, particularly during summer months when high temperatures significantly increase the likelihood of ignition.
“Tyre fires present severe risks to human health and the environment, and substantial challenges for emergency responders. Not only do they produce intense heat and toxic smoke, but they are also difficult to control and extinguish.”
The NSW EPA reminds the waste tyre industry that compliance is a serious matter and that strict conditions exist to protect emergency responders, communities and environmental ecosystems from harm.
Earlier this year, the Land and Environment Court ordered Western Sydney company BSV Tyre Recycling Australia Pty Ltd and its director Mr Virendra Nath to pay more than $225,000 in fines for offences relating to the improper storage of waste tyres.
Stockpiling over 500 tyres can be a land pollution offence under the Protection of the Environment Operations (POEO) Act 1997.
Contact details:
EPA MEDIA | TESS GIBNEY | 0456 053 522
24-hour Media Line (02) 9995 6415 media@epa.nsw.gov.au
