Goya Dmytryshchak and Benjamin Millar
Three recycling businesses in Melbourne’s west have been issued notices by the Environment Protection Authority to cease accepting more material to reduce fire risk.
Manhari Metals was issued notices for its Tottenham and Horsham sites, while notices were also issued to Action Recovery and Recycling for its Brooklyn site and ReSource Pty Ltd for its Sunshine site.
Manhari Metals’ Tottenham site caught fire in April, 2019, after previous warnings by authorities over its stockpiling of waste at other sites.
On Friday, the EPA said the notices for Manhari Metals and Action Recovery Recycling stemmed from the alleged failure of these businesses to meet regulatory requirements.
It said issues identified during EPA inspections mostly involved non-compliance with required size limits and minimum separation distances around
stockpiles of scrap metal and combustible recyclable and waste materials.
EPA waste crime prevention director Rachel Gualano said officers felt reasonable steps had not been taken to manage and store combustible recyclable and waste materials at the facilities.
Manhari Metals has since made its Tottenham site compliant.
ReSource Pty Ltd, an E-waste battery and cable recycler, was ordered to stop accepting waste following a fire at its Third Avenue site on Thursday.
The EPA said the recycler had not taken reasonable steps in managing its waste stockpile in a way that reduced the fire risk to the community.
