Environment Protection Authority Victoria (EPA) has fined Statewide Recycling Services Pty Ltd (Stawell Regional Landfill) more than $7,500 for breaching a condition of its EPA licence.
EPA North West Regional Manager Scott Pigdon said during a licence compliance inspection an EPA officer attending the site found exposed waste from the previous day’s operations.
“During the inspection an EPA officer found exposed shredded tyres, general household waste and potentially asbestos in an area of the landfill licensed to receive it,” Dr Pigdon said.
“However, under the company’s EPA licence the company is required to cover over any waste it receives at the end of each operational day. In this case Statewide Recycling Services has clearly not covered the waste and left it exposed overnight.”
Dr Pigdon said it was important that daily cover was applied to all waste material each day to reduce vermin, contaminated stormwater issues and litter impacting the local region.
“This breach was avoidable; Statewide Recycling Services is well aware of its licence conditions and in this case correct management and monitoring of the situation would have avoided the company being fined for failing to cover exposed waste at the end of the day,” Dr Pigdon said.
Dr Pigdon said Statewide Recycling Services was also fined earlier this year and in 2010 for a similar breach of its EPA licence.
“Statewide Recycling Services received two separate fines of more than $7,500 earlier this year for exceeding landfill gas levels and failing to survey an asbestos cell,” Dr Pigdon said.
EPA urges members of the public to report suspected pollution to EPA on 1300 372 842 (1300 EPA VIC) or at
www.epa.vic.gov.au