A load of construction and demolition waste containing asbestos found at Wollert has triggered a joint investigation by the City of Whittlesea and EPA Victoria.
The load was found by the side of Summerhill Road by City of Whittlesea officers, who called in EPA to investigate and prosecute the pollution offences.
The City of Whittlesea has now removed the construction and demolition waste, which included timber, roof guttering and tiles, and asbestos cement sheeting, and sent it for safe disposal.
EPA Northern Metro Regional Manager Jeremy Settle says illegally dumped waste from building, renovation or demolition projects is a regular problem.
"Unscrupulous operators are known to avoid the cost of taking waste to a properly licensed facility for disposal or recycling, by dumping loads in rural areas, parks and state forests, creeks, and even back streets and industrial areas," Mr Settle said.
"They might be doing the building or demolition themselves, or they might present themselves as waste removal contractors, attracting unsuspecting customers by offering extra low prices that undercut legitimate local businesses," he said.
"The asbestos of any kind is subject to strong regulation and must be removed, packaged and transported properly to ensure it presents no hazard to the environment and community."
City of Whittlesea Chief Executive Officer, Craig Lloyd, says Council's Waste Officers discovered the dumped load while patrolling a known litter hot spot along Summerhill Road, Wollert.
As part of the investigation Council located evidence within the building waste, which contained a large amount of asbestos, which enabled officers to determine the source of the waste. They forwarded the information to EPA for compliance action.
"Illegal dumping costs our community hundreds of thousands of dollars each year and creates an eyesore for our residents, while also potentially damaging the environment," Mr Lloyd said.
"The City of Whittlesea has no tolerance for illegal dumping and offenders will be held accountable for their actions," he said.
Members of the public can report illegal dumping and other types of pollution to EPA's 24 hour hotline on 1300 EPA VIC (1300 372 842) or by providing details online at epa.vic.gov.au/report-pollution/reporting-pollution
You can also report illegally dumped rubbish in the City of Whittlesea at whittlesea.vic.gov.au/litter or by calling 9217 2107.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Householders can find advice on disposing of waste from building, renovation or demolition on the EPA website: epa.vic.gov.au/for-community/how-to/dispose-renovation-demolition-waste-from-home
And there's advice on how to remove and dispose of asbestos properly here: epa.vic.gov.au/for-community/how-to/remove-asbestos-from-home
When hiring a demolition or waste removal operator, customers can ask to see receipts that show the contractor has taken waste to a licensed landfill or recycling facility, or to see proof that they use EPA's Waste Tracker to track hazardous waste such as asbestos all the way to a licensed facility. There's information on Waste Tracker here: epa.vic.gov.au/for-business/waste/transporting-waste/waste-tracker
