Sheet loads or face big fines under green law •
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Tipper operators working in the construction industry face fines of up to £20,000 for failing to sheet up loads collected from or delivered to quarries.
When new regulations are introduced on 1 April local authorities will be able to prosecute vehicle operators who "fail to minimise the generation of airborne dust" under Section 1 of the Environment Protection Act 1990.
The law covers quarry processes including roadstone plants and the size reduction of bricks, tiles and concrete. It re quires loads to be sheeted or otherwise enclosed as soon as possible after loading and before leaving a site — and before being admitted to one.
Until now local authorities have had to rely on Construction and Use Regulations introduced in 1984, which have proved difficult to enforce.