UK using aerial drones to monitor scrap tire sites
10 Dec 2015
Share:
Manchester, UK – The UK Environment Agency (EA) is using flying drones to monitor sites holding waste tires, rubber, plastics and other combustible materials, the government agency has announced.
According to the EA, remotely controlled drones are being used to take photos and videos and also detect elevated heat sources within waste piles.
“As waste degrades high temperatures can be created. The unit will identify those areas within the piles which are at a higher risk of self-igniting and have the potential to cause a fire,” said the agency.
The EA regulates waste sites, issuing permits that detail the conditions they must operate within to ensure the protection of the environment.
The agency also works with the fire service to identify high-risk fire sites to ensure that waste is handled safely.
Fires at waste sites are of increasing concern, said Gordon Whitaker, environment manager.
There is, he added, always a risk of pollution to watercourses and the local environment.
This article is only available to subscribers - subscribe today
Subscribe for unlimited access. A subscription to European Rubber Journal includes:
Every issue of European Rubber Journal (6 issues) including Special Reports & Maps.
Unlimited access to ERJ articles online
Daily email newsletter – the latest news direct to your inbox