The NSW Environment Protection Authority has fined recycling company IQ Renew Pty Ltd a total of $33,000 for allegedly breaching their environment protection licence at two Central Coast facilities in February this year.
IQ Renew operates plants at Somersby and Wyong, processing kerbside (yellow bin) recyclable waste.
EPA Director Regulatory Operations Adam Gilligan said EPA inspections revealed multiple alleged breaches of their environment protection licence and the Protection of the Environment Operations Act.
“EPA inspectors found waste being poorly stored and in some cases the waste was being tracked around by vehicles into the path of stormwater, which had the potential to cause environmental harm.
“The EPA also alleges that on several occasions the operators stored waste in excess of their licence conditions and stored or loaded it outside approved areas.
“Waste which is poorly stored can potentially become wind-blown litter and end up in waterways and adversely impact aquatic life,” Mr Gilligan said.
The EPA has fined IQ Renew $16,500 and issued an Official Caution in relation to alleged offences at the Pile Road, Somersby facility and $16,500 and an Official Caution in relation to offences at the Lucca Road, Wyong site, including not submitting a monthly waste report to the EPA.
The EPA previously fined PAR Recycling Services, which is owned by IQ Renew, for environmental breaches at the Somersby facility, including for storing waste outside the building and for poorly stored chemicals at a different Somersby facility
The EPA has also taken action against IQ Renew or its subsidiaries for a range of environmental breaches over the past seven years.
“We will continue to work closely with the operators to improve their environmental compliance,” Mr Gilligan said.
Penalty notices are one of a number of tools the EPA can use to achieve environmental compliance including formal warnings, official cautions, licence conditions, notices and directions and prosecutions. In this instance the EPA issued a penalty notice. The notice recipient may pay the penalty notice, seek a review, or elect to have the matter determined by a court.
