The discovery of an illegal dump full of old tyres at Lockwood South, near Bendigo, has put EPA Victoria's investigators on the trail to a network of other properties with possible connections to the scam.
EPA officers have been conducting inspections and examining records at businesses around the state as part of the investigation.
The operation has involved tyre retailers in western and central Victoria as well as metropolitan Melbourne, almost $30,000 in fines, nine official warnings, 70 businesses required to apply for official permissions for tyre stockpiles of their own, and 18 follow up investigations.
EPA Director Regional Operations Dan Hunt says it shows that sending waste tyres out the back door and pretending they just vanished doesn't work.
"Finding the stockpile led us to use our advanced databases and intelligence to trace that waste back to the transporters and the tyre retailers who were the waste generators. Businesses that thought illegal dumping was the cheap option for disposing of old tyres discovered it wasn't going to be cheap at all," Mr Hunt said.
"Break the law and your waste tyres will be out there somewhere, waiting to be discovered and we will be able to trace them back to your business," he said.
"Under Victoria's environmental law, it is very clear that all parties have legal responsibilities to ensure Reportable Priority Waste is sent for lawful disposal. This includes those businesses that generate or produce the waste," he said.
The Lockwood South stockpile was exposed after a tipoff from a member of the public. It contained approximately 10,000 waste tyres. EPA officers used he organisation's advanced data and intelligence systems to trace that waste back to 114 companies and individuals, and some of those investigations are still ongoing.
"There are two basics to storing and disposing of waste tyres; if you have more than five cubic metres, you'll need a license or registration, and when waste tyres leave the site, they must be registered online with EPA Waste Tracker," Mr Hunt said.
"The moment there's a break in the chain of possession in Waste Tracker, or waste has found its way to an unlawful place, EPA will come looking for those tyres and whoever is responsible," he said.
Waste Tracker came with the Environment Protection Act in 2021. All who generate, transport or receive Reportable Priority Waste like old tyres must use it to comply with tracking requirements. It is backed by advanced waste data analytics and intelligence tools to detect non-compliance.
"Producers of waste tyres such as mechanics, tyre fitters or other automotive retailers must understand their obligations as waste generators and that if their waste ends up dumped, they will also be held liable. The new Waste Tracker system has been around since 2021, so there's no excuse; ignorance will not be considered an excuse for breaking the law" Mr Hunt said.
Illegally dumped, buried or burnt waste tyres pose environmental risks including contaminating the land and waterways when they decay, or releasing toxic smoke and liquids if they burn.
EPA urges the public to report any suspicious waste tyre activities on 1300 372 842, and to dispose of their waste tyres responsibly at authorised facilities.
There's information on Waste Tracker here: epa.vic.gov.au/for-business/waste/transporting-waste/waste-tracker
