EPA shutting down illegal landfills

The Murraylands location is just one of several such sites uncovered outside the Adelaide metropolitan area recently.

Investigations are continuing, and the EPA has issued orders the operators of all three sites to stop receiving waste, and has identified a number of waste transport companies that have been using them for waste disposal.

Both landholders and waste transporters are being reminded to be aware of their responsibilities, as both can be penalised and the maximum penalties are significant:

• operating a waste depot without a licence: $120,000 for a company or $60,000 for an individual
• unlawful disposal of waste: $250,000 for a company and $120,000 or two years’ imprisonment for an individual
• causing serious environmental harm: $2,000,000 for a company and $500,000 and/or four years’ imprisonment for an individual.

Landholders who allow waste transporters to dump on their property – even if they consider they are only receiving fill – can be charged. As well as criminal convictions and significant fines, they risk large clean-up bills and being left with ongoing site contamination that can destroy the value of the property.

Likewise, it’s not enough for waste transporters to say they didn’t know the site was unlicensed. It is your responsibility to personally sight documentation such as the site’s EPA licence, council approval and the landowner’s consent.

Already this year, three people have received sizeable fines in the Environment, Resources and Development Court for matters relating to illegal waste depots, and more cases are in train.

In October, the EPA also disqualified a demolition contractor’s transport licence for three years after he was found to not be a fit and proper person.

Anyone with information regarding illegal landfill operations is encouraged to contact the EPA on 8204 2004.