The Waste Management and Resource Recovery Association of Australia (WMRR) is calling on all levels of government to act urgently on battery-related fires, which continue to break out at facilities across Australia.
It follows two fires within days of one another at facilities in Queensland and Victoria.
Gayle Sloan, WMRR Chief Executive Officer, said the industry is facing a national crisis.
“No more discussions, we need urgent, united action now,”Sloan said. “Without swift and comprehensive measures, we will be forced to consider halting the collection of bins that could contain these dangerous items.”
On Friday, January 31, 10 fire crews battled a blaze at a Queensland facility, which, based on the circumstances, is expected to be another battery-related fire. This follows a fire in Victoria at a facility housing 3000 lithium-ion batteries.
These incidents come on the heels of a recent fire in Cairns, which destroyed a significant Waste and Resource Recovery (WARR) processing facility.
Sloan said the WARR industry cannot continue to shoulder the financial and safety risks posed by the hazardous materials. The costs of these fires are escalating into the millions, not to mention the disruptions to services and the harmful impact on the surrounding communities from pollution events.
“Fires in trucks and facilities are a daily reality for our workers and communities,” she said.
“Yet, while these catastrophic events continue, only New South Wales has taken meaningful action, introducing drop-off locations for embedded batteries and drafting mandatory regulations for their safe disposal and stewardship”.
For more information, www.wmrr.asn.au/
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