Fears of massive illegal tyre stockpiles erupting in flames in the recent scorching weather are still lingering at two Border sites.
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The piles at an industrial site next to Albury airport and at a residential block at Jindera have sparked grave concerns.
Residents at a commercial estate on Bennu Circuit fear if the pile of tens of thousands of tyres caught fire, toxic smoke would close the airport - and potentially cause a mass evacuation extending to the Albury CBD.
In November, the stack was estimated to contain nearly 30,000 tyres.
An estate resident said the stockpile "was the talk of the block" in the area which has several enterprises, including a freight distribution centre, landscape supply and hardware operations, to a coach tour company.
"If this caught fire, I'd hate to think what would happen," the tenant who declined to be named said. "It is a potentially deadly situation, we just want to see it fixed for the safety of everybody.
"Everyone around here is talking about it. Everyone got a letter from the present owner of the site saying it was going to be fixed in the next few months but we haven't seen much action since the EPA stepped in last year."
In November, the Environment Protection Authority pursued a fine of $582,375 for Carbon MF and its director Mark Fair after they were found by the NSW Land and Environment Court to have illegally stockpiled the tyres.
Carbon MF went into administration in September last year. The new owner of the land is Dahlsens Family Companies which sent a letter to the estate's residents on February 5.
"We have had the unfortunate outcome of significant pollution on our property left behind by the previous tenant," Dahlsens property manager Fabrice Boucherat wrote in the letter to surrounding tenants.
"With the tenant in liquidation, found guilty and fined by the court, we find ourselves in the costly and difficult position to clean up the property.
"Starting on February 6 we will be undertaking the clean-up that involves certain activities which may generate additional noise and vehicle traffic.
"The work is expected to last approximately two months ... we sincerely apologise for any disruption it may cause."
Mr Boucherat, when contacted by The Border Mail, declined to comment further.
The EPA has been contacted by The Border Mail.
Meanwhile, Jindera residents are wondering why another tyre dump there - investigated by the EPA in March last year - has still not been removed.
On March 1, the EPA and police executed a search warrant at a Range View Drive property where officers found a stockpile of about 10,000 tyres.
A resident, who declined to be named, said people living nearby feared the overgrown state of the property posed a clear fire danger.
"If those tyres were to catch alight it has serious consequences, not only with us neighbours having to protect our houses, but with smoke impacting the air quality for miles," the resident said.
"They found the tyres last year and since then I've seen people coming to look at the property which is for sale, but with the tyres still there that's probably holding up the sale."
On Monday the property remained listed for sale with an asking price of $750,000 which was "under offer".
On Monday, February 19, an EPA spokesman offered no response to the matters, saying the authority had been overwhelmed with enquiries about asbestos contamination in Sydney.
