❓ A parliamentary question regarding the disposal and storage of used tyres on mining sites in the Collie region, specifically Premier Coal, and the associated environmental regulations and monitoring.
AnsweredQoN 5954Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to the practice of disposing of, or storing used tyres on mining sites by burying them on site, and I ask: (a) which mining companies operating within the Collie region hold licences which allow them to dispose of or store used tyres by burying them on-site, and what are the requirements for the storage and disposal of tyres using this method; (b) what ongoing monitoring requirements are the company operating the mine site subject to for tyres disposed of or stored using this method; and (c) what limits are in place for the amount of disposed or stored tyre material allowed to be buried within a given area of land and which entity monitors this requirement?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
8 November 2016
Responded by
Minister for Environment
Response time
26 days
(a) One mining company within the Collie region, Premier Coal Limited, holds licence L5094/1987/16 authorising the disposal of used tyres that have been generated on-site, to the on-site landfill at the Premier Coal Mine. The licence requirements for the disposal of waste include a minimum separation distance of two metres to the maximum groundwater level.
General requirements for disposal of tyres in the Environmental Protection Regulations 1987 also apply. Part 6 of the Regulations prescribes limits on the number of tyres that may be disposed of, the maximum size of batches of tyres for disposal by burial, the minimum separation distance between batches and the prescribed minimum thickness of final soil cover.
(b) Through the submission of an Annual Environmental Report and Annual Audit Compliance Report, Premier Coal is required to report to the Department of Environment Regulation (DER) the total tonnage of waste disposed to the on-site landfill on an annual basis. As a licensed prescribed premises Premier Coal is also subject to DER’s Annual Compliance Program and was last inspected on 2 February 2016. At the time of inspection DER found the regulatory and operational controls relating to the management of environmental risk to be sufficient.
(c) Premier Coal’s waste acceptance to the on-site landfill is limited to a combined total of 1,000 tonnes per annual period for waste generated at the premises. Each year, Premier Coal reports to DER the total tonnage of waste disposed to the on-site landfill for the annual period.
General requirements for disposal of tyres in the Environmental Protection Regulations 1987 also apply. Part 6 of the Regulations prescribes limits on the number of tyres that may be disposed of, the maximum size of batches of tyres for disposal by burial, the minimum separation distance between batches and the prescribed minimum thickness of final soil cover.
(b) Through the submission of an Annual Environmental Report and Annual Audit Compliance Report, Premier Coal is required to report to the Department of Environment Regulation (DER) the total tonnage of waste disposed to the on-site landfill on an annual basis. As a licensed prescribed premises Premier Coal is also subject to DER’s Annual Compliance Program and was last inspected on 2 February 2016. At the time of inspection DER found the regulatory and operational controls relating to the management of environmental risk to be sufficient.
(c) Premier Coal’s waste acceptance to the on-site landfill is limited to a combined total of 1,000 tonnes per annual period for waste generated at the premises. Each year, Premier Coal reports to DER the total tonnage of waste disposed to the on-site landfill for the annual period.
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