Styria checks halt 14 waste shipments in three-day operation

Authorities stopped 14 waste shipments and filed 142 reports during a three-day inspection operation in Styria, ORF reported. The regional traffic department focused on compliance with rules for cross-border waste transport.

The inspections ran from October 12 to 14 at Spielfeld and at a traffic checkpoint in Straß on the A9 motorway. The department’s dangerous goods unit led the operation, with support from experts at the federal agriculture, climate and environmental ministry, as well as finance and customs officials.

Officers checked how waste materials were declared, whether the required accompanying documents were present and whether shipments met legal requirements. They could order transport to stop if they found violations.

Police recorded 164 violations, including 38 under the Waste Management Act, eight under the Dangerous Goods Transport Act, 99 involving driving and rest periods, and 18 under the Motor Vehicles Act. In 14 cases, shipments were stopped. Officers collected security deposits in 27 cases, and the total amount collected in security deposits and on-the-spot fines was about 25,000 euros. They also carried out 52 alcohol checks.

The authorities said the checks were intended to prevent illegal waste shipments and identify environmental risks, while protecting businesses that follow the rules. Waste can contain valuable raw materials and is subject to strict disposal requirements, they said.