The Agency has said over the next year, it will be carefully auditing scrapyards in the North East region to make sure they are complying with the End of Life Vehicle Regulations.
The Regulations brought in new environmental protection standards from Europe's ELV Directive, which came into force at the end of 2003. Vehicle dismantlers must meet these standards to maintain status as authorised treatment facilities – and only ATFs can carry out vehicle dismantling legally.
Environment Agency officers want to make sure hazardous materials like car batteries, oils and petrol are managed so that they have no impact on the local environment.
Pollution
Rebecca Dunn of the Environment Agency explained: “Only authorised sites are permitted to carry out dismantling, and they need to make sure that they carry out the work so that pollution doesn’t happen.”
Under the standards, companies that dismantle cars must take out polluting substances before the vehicle is crushed or shredded. The de-pollution activities must be carried out on an impermeable surface such as concrete so that any liquids cannot seep through and contaminate the ground.
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Ms Dunn said: “Scrapyards have now had plenty of time to comply with the ELV Regs, and we will be coming round throughout 2006 to make sure they’re operating correctly.”
The Agency said it is now regularly taking legal action against vehicle recycling companies that do not take the ELV regulations seriously. Scrapyards failing to comply can be fined, while failing company directors face a prison sentence.
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