The Environment Protection Authority (EPA) has carried out a ‘tyre blitz’ on 19 businesses in Melbourne’s west.
On Wednesday April 2, a team of EPA officers carried out a series of snap inspections on vehicle wreckers, mechanics and tyre retailers in Braybrook, Sunshine, and Hoppers Crossing.
EPA west metropolitan regional manager Jeremy Settle said businesses inspected often store waste tyres and hire contractors to dispose of them, with the deciding factor on who they use being cost.
“Businesses need to be using the EPA Waste Tracker system that records movement of waste tyres as they’re generated, transported and disposed of,” he said.
“If they can’t show us Waste Tracker has been used either by themselves or their contractor, they are non-compliant and face potential penalties.”
During the blitz, the EPA inspected 19 businesses and issued more than 57 pieces of formal compliance advice covering a range of topics including how and why to use Waste Tracker, managing runoff to stormwater drains, stock separation, fire risk planning and other areas that needed addressing.
“Waste tyre dumping is a crime – we will prosecute where we can and force the dumper to pay for their mess because if we can’t find them, it’s the community that ends up paying,” Mr Settle said.
To report suspected illegal tyre dumping: www.epa.vic.gov.au/report-pollution
