The Tyre Recovery Association (TRA) has reiterated calls for a moratorium on exempting ‘small-scale’ tyre recycling from requiring an environmental permit, over concerns that such sites are not being regulated.
The Environment Agency does not regulate exempted sites as they are considered to be ‘low risk’.
But the TRA, which has for years warned of the level of ‘malpractice’ at small-scale sites, said: “Exemptions are easy and cheap to register but may pose a looming threat to the environment where they are unpoliced.”
It added: “The Tyre Recovery Association feels strongly that the Government’s current exemptions policy requires more serious scrutiny and is again calling for a moratorium on the issuing of any further new exemptions until this review has been carried out.”
EA figures show there are 1,622 sites registered exempted sites in England and Wales for the treatment of tyres and 3,912 sites registered for storage of baled tyres.
In 2012 the TRA wrote to then waste minister Lord Taylor of Holbeach over the issue. His response was that exemptions were for “small-scale, low risk operations in order to encourage bona fide recycling and recovery”.
Source: MRW
Published: 25 Mar 2014