A blitz by the Environmental Protection Authority in the Northern Territory has revealed a swathe of illegal dumps, including several asbestos and chemical waste dumps, with inspectors revealing the extent of the environmental damage was ‘far worse than expected’.
The EPA confirmed that they had stepped up the rate of inspections across the top end in light of increased reports of unlicensed dumping facilities in the last financial year.
Chairman of the NT branch of the EPA, Paul Vogel, explained that there were 20 inspections of dumps in the 2021/22 financial year, noting that the Northern Territory had a significant number of unapproved and unlicensed landfills.
Dr Vogel said that many of the sites were assumed to be “low risk”, but inspectors discovered high levels of pollution and contamination upon inspection.
“Perhaps most worrying was the discovery of … asbestos, sites being set alight as a method of routine management.”
“Notices have been issued to a number of land owners and occupiers requiring them to address the immediate environmental risks posed by the tyres,” he said.
In total, 72 penalty infringement notices were issued by the EPA during the period, with the City of Darwin receiving the highest number of notices at 17.