EPA Victoria wants people in the Greater Shepparton area to remove their tyre stockpiles before conducting hazard reduction burns as fire restrictions ease.
EPA north-east region manager Renee Palmer said a pile of waste tyres was a fire hazard and a threat to the environment.
“You can stockpile up to 40 tonnes or 5000 standard passenger tyres without needing a permit from EPA, but there are common sense reasons for most property owners to get rid of old tyres,” Ms Palmer said.
“A stack of waste tyres is a pile of chemicals waiting to burn; it doesn’t catch fire easily but if it is overrun by fire it will generate toxic smoke, and burning tyres can be very difficult to extinguish.”
Any abandoned stockpile of waste tyres is also an environmental hazard, providing a breeding ground for vermin while the tyres begin to decay and contaminate the soil and groundwater.
“Past practices of using old tyres to contain soil erosion or around newly planted trees are no longer accepted, and it’s illegal to burn or just dump them,” Ms Palmer said.
EPA urges landholders to inspect any tyre stockpile and make a decision to either manage it properly for the good of your farm and your community, or send the tyres for recycling or legal disposal in landfill.
If you suspect someone is illegally stockpiling or dumping waste tyres, phone EPA’s 24-hour pollution hotline on 1300 372 842. Offenders can face a fine of more than $8000, or hundreds of thousands of dollars if the case goes to court.
Visit EPA’s website for advice on how tyres can be used on farm, land or other private property: www.epa.vic.gov.au/-/media/epa/files/publications/1652.pdf
The tyre stockpile regulations are also available online at: ref.epa.vic.gov.au/business-and-industry/guidelines/waste-guidance/storage-of-waste-tyres-in-victoria
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