Agency warns public against use of illegal scrapyards

And, action is being taken to ensure that scrapyards in Essex are complying with the regulations.

This month sees the end of the 12-month amnesty period the Agency has allowed vehicle recyclers to bring their sites up to the standard laid out in the regulations. The regulations mean that sites have to be upgraded to protect against any potential environmental pollution when vehicles are stored or have fluids, oils and other hazardous materials removed.

Sites also have to be upgraded with de-pollution equipment to remove hazardous components to the standards set by the regulations.

The new standards come as part of Europe's End of Life Vehicles Directive, which means items such as scrap batteries, tyres, catalyst exhausts, mercury switches and all the harmful fluids have to be removed from vehicles before they can be recycled.

Environment Agency officers have been checking up on scrapyards to see that they are meeting the standards of the regulations before the final deadline at the end of this month. The Agency has already said that three out of four sites it visited in Yorkshire were non-compliant(see letsrecycle.com story), and this week highlighted Essex as an area with non-compliant scrapyards.

Enforcement
The Agency said that while Essex scrapyards have been gearing up for the November 30 deadline, “only a few have reached the desired standards”. Enforcement action has already been taken concerning “a number of sites within the area over contraventions of the regulations”, it revealed.

John Parish, environment officer from Essex, said: “Most dismantlers have known for a year now that the regulations would be fully enforced. Only a handful of operators have reached the required standard so far in Essex. However many more are galvanising into action and it is expected many will reach the approved standards shortly.

“The harm to our environment is too important to ignore and these new regulations will ensure that all sites are bought up to higher technical standards. The industry has a good record for recycling motor vehicles and it is hoped that they will rise to the new environmental challenges that these regulations require of them.”