Bald Hill Quarry ordered to pay $577k for illegal tyre use

The conviction comes after quarry personnel deliberately and repeatedly ignored instructions by the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) not to use shredded tyres as cover material at its Jugiong landfill site, which increased the severity of a large fire at the landfill on 9 May 2022.

Landfill ‘cover’ is a layer of material spread over landfilled waste to manage environmental impacts, including odours, water run-off and fires. Cover materials vary but commonly include clay, soil and compost.

Five charges were brought against Bald Hill Quarry relating to the use of the tyres as landfill cover, including one negligent waste disposal offence, one air pollution offence (resulting from the 2022 fire), two licence breaches, and one failure to immediately notify authorities of a pollution incident.

NSW EPA Executive Director of Operations Jason Gordon said the successful result held the quarry accountable and reinforced the seriousness of knowingly breaching environmental regulations.

"The quarry knew using shredded rubber as landfill cover was a fire risk, yet chose to proceed,” Mr Gordon said.

“This negligent action put the environment and community at risk. An employee noted this was the largest fire on site and released toxic fumes into the surrounding area.

“This ruling is a strong reminder that environmental safety standards must be upheld, with no exceptions. Our message is clear – we will not hesitate to pursue those who fail to meet their obligations to protect our communities and the environment.”

The Land and Environment Court convicted and fined Bald Hill Quarry Pty Ltd a total of $341,000 for the five offences, ordered them to pay the EPA’s legal costs of $236,250, and instructed them to make public the details of the offence in The Daily Telegraph, Cootamundra Herald, and Inside Waste magazine.