EPA’s Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS) program is commonly known as our 'drones program'. It's part of our Data Analytics and Intelligence unit within our Applied Sciences directorate.

Drones help with all types of investigations for compliance and enforcement. They allow us to search sites that are hard to reach or unsafe for vehicles or people to visit.

Through a range of technologies, our drones help us:

  • work out the amount and type of waste on a site
  • find ‘hotspots’ in landfills. Hotspots mean there is a risk of fire
  • search for buried waste, using a ground penetrating radar.

The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) licenses EPA's drones. We follow all CASA regulations when using our drones. 

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EPA's programs and projects

EPA's past programs and projects

Reviewed 9 October 2020