THE Victorian Supreme Court has ordered the company that owns the Stawell Tyre Yard to pay millions of dollars to the Environment Protection Authority Victoria for costs associated with massive clean up.
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A decision was handed down on Friday, ordering Internet Marketing Solutions Corp to immediately pay the EPA more than $4.5 million after removing about one million tyres from the stockpile last year.
An injunction was also placed on the company, preventing it from selling the Stawell property where the tyres were stored.
“This is EPA’s first step in the process of recovering the costs that were incurred in removing the huge tyre stockpile that presented a great human health and environmental risk to Stawell and its surrounding communities,” EPA chief executive Cathy Wilkinson.
The case has been adjourned to allow any future orders by the court to be made if required.
Dr Wilkinson said the proceedings should be a message to anyone storing a large stockpile of tyres.
“Those who do not comply with the guidelines can expect EPA to use the full force of its powers to address environmental and public health risk from illegally stored tyre stockpiles and to seek to recover any costs incurred if EPA steps in to remove the potential environmental hazard,” she said.
More to come.
