D&N Rubber Refinery has been fined $15,000 for stockpiling around 74 tonnes of waste tyres on its Smithfield premises – more than seven times the amount allowed under its Environment Protection Licence.

Under its licence conditions the company is only allowed to store 10 tonnes of waste tyres.

This is the second time it has breached conditions after an earlier inspection by NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) officers revealed around 57 tonnes were being kept at the premises.

Following the first incident a show cause letter was issued but during the second inspection EPA officers also found stored tyres blocked access to firefighting equipment and not in accordance with Fire and Rescue NSW guidelines.

NSW EPA Executive Director Regulatory Operations Metro, Stephen Beaman said stockpiled tyres were a potential fire hazard and strict conditions applied to their storage.

“Proper storage of tyres is critical to minimise fire risk, protect our environment and keep our community safe,” Mr Beaman said.

“Once alight, rubber tyres are extremely difficult to extinguish, generating a large amount of heat and smoke.

“We encourage businesses to keep accurate written records to prove waste tyres are taken to a lawful place and managed responsibly.”

A $15,000 Penalty Infringement Notice (PIN) is the largest fine the EPA can issue under its legislation.

Penalty notices are one of the tools the EPA uses to achieve the best environmental or human health outcomes.

Our regulatory approach includes a wide variety of options.

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