The former director of one of the state’s most high-risk dump sites has failed to front court as the Environment Protection Authority waits to learn whether criminal proceedings against him will head to the federal court.

Firefighters at the C & D Recycling site in Lara, Victoria Credit:Country Fire Authority

Former C&D Recycling director David McAuliffe is facing potential jail time after allegedly failing to comply with orders from the EPA to clean up industrial waste on the property near Geelong.

Court documents show the EPA issued Mr McAuliffe with notices to comply on November 6, 2017, giving him and the company four weeks to remove all industrial waste stockpiled at the now-defunct recycling centre on Broderick Road in Lara - just 1.2 kilometres from a housing estate.

Then on December 14 in 2017, the now 63-year-old director allegedly failed to provide the authority with a detailed report on his plans to clean up the site and address its ongoing management.