On 13 March 2020, Rajwinder Singh, an employee of asbestos disposal business Action Asbestos, along with another employee, Jack Scofield, took a load of asbestos to an authorised waste facility in Kwinana for disposal. However, the asbestos was not labelled or marked with the words "CAUTION ASBESTOS", which is a legal requirement, and the load was turned away.
The asbestos was then driven to a cul-de-sac on Orton Road, Casuarina where a City of Kwinana employee observed the tip truck, marked ‘Action Asbestos’, dumping the asbestos onto the side of the road.
Mr Singh, 33 years old of Harrisdale, appeared in the Rockingham Magistrates Court on Friday 18 March 2022 and pleaded guilty to one charge of illegal dumping and one charge of breaching the Environmental Protection (Controlled Waste) Regulations 2004. He was fined a total of $15,800 and ordered to pay costs of $475.80.
His co-accused, Jack David Scofield, who also worked for Action Asbestos, has pleaded not guilty to the offences.
Department of Water and Environmental Regulation Senior Manager Waste Operations, Matt Warnock said dumping asbestos was a particularly serious crime.
“Asbestos has the potential to seriously affect people’s health, and this was a blatant act by a professional who knew the rules and regulations,” Mr Warnock said.
“This whole incident could have been avoided if the offender had disposed of the waste in the proper and legal way.”
Anyone who witnesses illegal dumping is asked to call the department’s Pollution Watch Hotline on 1300 784 782, email pollutionwatch@dwer.wa.gov.au or call Crimestoppers on 1800 333 000.
