Note to individuals and companies hoping to flaunt environmental protection laws with impunity: Keep an eye peeled for any hacked-off-looking drones capturing video of your illegal dumping from on high. Because failing to do so is now going to cost one Sydney area man in nearly $200,000 in fines.
Brushed-off local Aussie EPA unit flies drones to film video of brazen illegal dumping
This month, a court in an Australian town about 25 miles west of Sydney slapped a local businessman with AUS $275,000 ($197,000) in penalties for multiple pollution offenses. The case was brought by the New South Wales Environmental Protection Agency (NSW EPA), which used video shot from drones and CCTV footage to record the repeated illegal dumping at a property rented by the accused. Though the agency had issued warnings to cease the illicit, ecologically harmful activity, the suspect continued on with it, apparently figuring the NSW EPA would be both unable and unwilling to cause…