Flares Disposal Sparks Fires at Yeppoon Landfill

Back
Published
14th February 2024

Recent incidents at Yeppoon Landfill have re-ignited the severe risks posed by improper disposal of marine flares and other hazardous items in general waste kerbside bins.

Michael Kriedemann, General Manager Infrastructure at Livingstone Shire Council, said the fast actions of operators on site prevented the spread of two fires sparked by improperly discarded flares.

“We could have been looking at major fires in the landfill cell, which could have burned for days and cost ratepayers thousands of dollars to extinguish,” Mr Kriedemann said.

“These incidents serve as a critical reminder of the hazards associated with improper disposal of flares and other highly flammable waste in general waste kerbside bins.

In addition to flares, items such as batteries (including lithium, household, and lead acid batteries), gas bottles, and oils should never be placed in household kerbside bins due to the severe risks they pose.

“Improper disposal of hazardous items can lead to "hot loads", fires, and other dangerous incidents, putting lives and the environment at risk. For example, lithium batteries can explode when compacted in waste trucks, leading to life-threatening fires,” Mr Kriedemann said.

“The problem with flares is that they expire after three years. After this time, there is no guarantee they will function when needed and therefore must be replaced.

“Our message is that flares are classified as explosives and all expired flares must never be disposed of in a bin.”

To address this issue, Council provides the below guide on safe disposal options for hazardous waste:

  • Flares: Damaged and expired marine distress flares can be disposed of at authorised locations including Yeppoon Coast Guard, Keppel Sands Coast Guard, and Stanage Bay Coast Guard.
  • Empty gas bottles: Recycle LPG Gas bottles, 9 kilograms or less, at Council’s Resource Recovery Centre at Yeppoon Landfill or at transfer stations. Return all other gas bottles to their original purchase point.
  • Household batteries: Tape batteries using clear sticky tape and drop them off at designated B-cycle drop-off points, including Bunning Warehouse, Woolworths, and Big W in Yeppoon, and Drakes in Emu Park.
  • Oils: Recycle used engine and cooking oils at Council’s Resource Recovery Centre. Never pour oils down the drain.

For comprehensive waste recycling information, residents can access the Livingstone Waste Wise App available on the App Store/Google Play.