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- Asbestos transport and disposal
The following definitions apply to asbestos transport and disposal.
Commercial activity is transporting waste where a fee or reward has or will be received. A reward is anything of monetary value, directly or indirectly received by the transporter.
Non-commercial is any other activity that does not meet the meaning of commercial.
Asbestos waste is regulated and must be disposed of safely, quickly and correctly. You must comply with the following when transporting and disposing of asbestos in Queensland:
As a general guide, 175kg of typical flat asbestos cement sheet asbestos waste would occupy about a fifth of a normal household trailer. A quarter of a trailer would equate to approximately 250kg.
An environmental authority is required for anyone transporting more than 175kg of asbestos waste
An environmental authority for the Environmentally Relevant Activity of Regulated Waste Transport (ERA 57) is issued by the Department of Environment and Science to transport regulated waste by vehicle.
Homeowners and contractors do not need an environmental authority to transport 175kg or less of asbestos waste.
Waste tracking documentation
If you are transporting asbestos waste on a commercial basis, you must record and submit waste tracking documentation to the Department of Environment and Science. This documentation is mandatory, regardless of the quantity of asbestos waste being transported in a vehicle.
Asbestos waste being transported on a non-commercial basis requires waste tracking documentation if there is 250kg or more of asbestos in the vehicle.
Apply for an environmental authority and waste tracking documentation
To apply for an environmental authority and waste tracking documentation to transport asbestos waste, visit Department of Environment and Science or call 13 QGOV (13 74 68).
A company is contracted to install telephone lines, connections and pits. This task involves removing less than 175kg of asbestos containing material (ACM) that will need transporting to a licensed landfill. An environmental authority is not required to transport the asbestos waste. The waste must be appropriately packaged for transport and disposal. Waste tracking documentation is required as the transportation is being undertaken on a commercial basis.
A licensed asbestos removalist is contracted to remove asbestos cement sheeting generating 190kg of asbestos waste. Because the quantity of waste is greater than 175kg, an environmental authority to transport regulated waste is required for the vehicle being used to transport it. Although the asbestos cement sheeting is less than 250kg, the transport is an integral part (i.e. a primary objective) of the asbestos removal business and considered to be on a commercial basis. The removalist would therefore need to accurately record and submit waste tracking information to the Department of Environment and Science.
A licensed asbestos removalist is contracted to remove asbestos cement sheeting generating 100kg of asbestos waste. Although the asbestos cement sheeting is less than 250kg, the transport is an integral part (i.e. a primary objective) of the asbestos removal business and considered to be on a commercial basis. The removalist would therefore need to accurately record and submit waste tracking information to the Department of Environment and Science. However, as the quantity is less than 175kg, an environmental authority to transport regulated waste is not required for the vehicle being used to transport the waste.
A homeowner has removed ACM from their own home to a total of 150kg. The homeowner is transporting the ACM to a licensed landfill themselves. An environmental authority is not required as the volume is less than 175kg. Waste tracking is also not required as the transportation is being undertaken on a non-commercial basis for less than 250kg.
A contractor is engaged to specifically collect asbestos waste and transport it to a landfill. In this case, the contractor would be undertaking regulated waste transport on a commercial basis and would need to accurately record and submit waste tracking information to the Department of Environment and Science. If the quantity of asbestos was also greater than 175kg, then an environmental authority to transport the regulated waste would be required for the vehicle being used to transport the waste.