Penalties boosted for illegal dumpers Serial dumper Dib Abdalla Hanna. PEOPLE who repeatedly dump illegal waste will be jailed for up to two years in a state government crackdown on the practice. The new tough stance has been brought on by the case of Dib Abdallah Hanna, who was given a three-month suspended jail sentence last month for dumping 80 tonnes of waste found to contain asbestos. "This sends a clear message that the monetary fines issued by the courts and Environmental Protection Authority are no longer just the "cost of doing business" - but that repeat illegal dumpers could now face up to two years in jail," Environment Minister Robyn Parker said. The laws will include a maximum two-year jail term for those who commit a waste offence within five years of a prior waste conviction - upgrading the penalty from a fine. There will also be a maximum 18-month jail term for people who knowingly supply false or misleading information about waste and the EPA will be able to seize vehicles used in repeat waste offences. The legislation will also enable courts to take into account the potential profit from an offence for consideration as an additional penalty if convicted. The government argues the Hanna verdict "highlighted a lack of power in the court system to deal with repeat waste offenders." Hanna, 37, has been dubbed one of Sydney's worst rubbish dumpers, having dropped eight truckloads of waste containing asbestos last year at Picnic Point and having been convicted of a similar offence in 2010, when he dumped chrystotile asbestos - the most dangerous type of asbestos responsible for almost 90 per cent of asbestos health problems. At that time, Hanna was fined more than $100,000 for illegal dumps at Rooty Hill, Hargrave Park, Minchinbury and Bankstown Airport. "The current penalties do not outweigh the profits from illegal activity, and as long as that remains, unscrupulous waste operators will continue to exploit the system," Ms Parker said. Ms Parker said the legislation also proposed to apply the waste levy on all operators, instead of just landfills as it currently applies. "This important bill represents vital reforms to boost the EPA's regulatory powers and crack down on rogue operators in our waste industry," she said. The changes come after what has been described as "the largest covert surveillance operation in the EPA's history over the past 12 months." The operation allegedly uncovered "substantial corruption and illegal activity including falsifying documents, sophisticated levy rackets and large-scale illegal dumping," a government spokesman said. There were large profits to be made from illegal dumping and the EPA found current penalties were viewed as the cost of "doing business."