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Waste transport offences on EPA radar

Environmental authority targeting illegal dumpers, load restraint

 

Environment Protection Authority (EPA) officers from New South Wales and South Australia held operations monitoring waste transporters recently, with issues such as illegal disposal and load restraint being targeted.

On March 14, EPA officers and the NSW Police Force conducted a targeted compliance operation on the Monaro Highway on the ACT/NSW border to intercept trucks carrying waste from a construction site in the ACT to a potentially unauthorised premises in NSW.

Whilst it would not disclose any specific findings from the operation, the NSW EPA tells ATN it “has been working with the NSW Police Force, Australian Capital Territory (ACT) authorities and Snowy-Monaro Regional Council, in an ongoing operation targeting the potential illegal disposal of waste from construction sites in the ACT.”  

“The EPA and Snowy-Monaro Regional Council are investigating potential breaches of Council development consent requirements and environmental laws at the location where this construction waste has already been dumped.

“Officers from the ACT’s NO Waste enforcement unit are also investigating compliance with ACT waste transport laws.

“Tough penalties including fines apply to any companies or individuals breaking waste and environment protection laws.”


A company and drivers were fined for illegal dumping as part of the operation. Read more, here


Meanwhile, SA EPA had conducted its operation on major northern and southern roads, reporting that most truck drivers “were doing the right thing by covering their loads”, but has shared footage of one incident that led to a penalty.

EPA manager, investigations and tactical support Stephen Barry says Operation Cover Up was an ongoing compliance and enforcement operation focused on EPA-licensed waste transporters.

“This day-long operation was in response to the amount of litter on roads, especially on the sides of Port Wakefield Road where it has been causing concern for property owners as well as being unsightly,” Barry says.

“In these locations, we observed an average of five heavy vehicles a minute, ranging from small trucks, tippers and skip bin trucks, to semi-trailers and B-doubles.

“The drivers of the vast majority of the trucks we observed had taken proper measures to secure, contain or cover their loads.

“We issued a total of five expiations, though only one was to a licensed waste transporter, which tells us that licensed transporters are doing a good job of meeting their environmental obligations.

“The fine for the licensed transporter involved litter falling from the truck’s trailer after the driver had dropped a load of waste at the Inkerman landfill.

“During the operation, our officers also issued an expiation for environmental nuisance to the driver of a tipper truck travelling along Port Wakefield Road at Lower Light, due to a significant amount of onion casings being blown from the truck that were creating a hazard for other road users.”

Port Wakefield expiation, February 2019 from EPA South Australia on Vimeo.

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