D & N Rubber Refinery (DNR) has been fined $30,000 by the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) for unlawfully storing around 130 tonnes of waste tyres and failing to comply with a prevention notice issued by the EPA.
During a routine inspection of the Smithfield premises in May 2024, EPA officers found the tyres illegally stored in an unapproved area and identified the amount as exceeding the five-tonne limit permitted for facilities operating without an environment protection licence.
The EPA issued a prevention notice requiring removal of the tyres down to the five-tonne limit, which DNR complied with in August 2024, however a follow-up inspection by the EPA last month found that it was again operating unlawfully with more than 50 tonnes of tyres stored onsite.
EPA Director Operations, Adam Gilligan said there are strict conditions for the safe storage of tyres to protect the community and the environment.
"During the EPA's latest inspection, the company was storing 10 times the number of tyres allowed on the premises. They were in locations that could create a fire risk or potential obstructions in emergency situations," Mr Gilligan said.
"The company is fully aware of its obligations after the EPA took regulatory action last year so there is no excuse for this latest incident.
"Strict limits are placed on waste tyres due to the significant pollution risks they pose, particularly if they are improperly stored. Tyres stacked too high or incorrectly can fuel intense fires and obstruct access for emergency services.
"Tyres create very hot fires that can be extremely difficult to extinguish and can generate large clouds of smoke that can be toxic to nearby residents.
"In this case, residents and the Cumberland Highway are located within a couple of hundred metres away of the site and planes also fly overhead from Bankstown Airport.
"It is important that companies comply with our notices to reduce environmental risk. We have escalated our regulation of this site and will continue to closely monitor storage at the facility."
