Defra is considering whether to take action over permit exemptions for waste tyre recycling sites, after the Tyre Recovery Association (TRA) reiterated its call for a freeze on the registration process last week.
The TRA has said it is alarmed that registered exemptions for waste tyre facilities, which are routinely issued by the Environment Agency, have reached ‘record levels’ in England and Wales and has called for more effective policing of sites that fall under the regime.
Figures published by the Environment Agency in December 2013 show that there are 1,622 sites registered for the treatment of tyres, as well as 3,912 sites registered for storage of baled tyres in England and Wales.
At present, sites that have registered exemptions from environmental permits are permitted to hold up to 50 tonnes of baled tyres, equivalent to around 5,000 car tyres. Often, these sites are smaller operations that store or process low quantities of waste and are considered to be a ‘lower risk’ than larger sites to cause environmental pollution.
The TRA, whose members only include the operator of one exempt site, argues that if every exempt site was to stock at maximum capacity, the sector would hold some 195,000 tonnes of tyres – equivalent to 40% of the total UK arisings.
Concern
Speaking to letsrecycle.com, Peter Taylor, secretary general of the TRA, said the sector should expect ‘an element of compliance’ for waste exempt sites, which can only be achieved through more stringent checks.
He said: “Our concern is that there has been a growth in the number of exemptions, and some of it maybe farmers appealing for them, but overall the government does not seem to know what is driving this.
“If we have look at the history of successful and unsuccessful prosecutions in this sector, most of them have involved the stockpiling of baled tyres, and virtually all involve exempt sites. When they go wrong they go wrong in a big way. The Environment Agency just does not have the resources available to visit these thousands of sites.
“The first thing we are calling for is an element of compliance, which can only be conducted through more site visits. In the past we have called for a moratorium on exemptions until we can take a look at what we have, and that is what we would like to see now.”
Commenting on the call for a moratorium, a spokeswoman for Defra said: “We together with the Environment Agency are monitoring the position on exemptions closely. We are currently considering if further action is needed.”