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Environmental Remediation Programs
Capital Facilities & Infrastructure Branch Development Activity 22 February 2013
Overview
• Background• ERP structure• Current programs / projects• Recent remediation projects• Status of Defence contamination • Why does Defence care?• How does Defence manage contamination?• Challenges ahead• ERP / CFI working together • Questions / discussion
Background
• National Contamination Remediation Program commenced in 2003
• Supports Defence’s Environmental Strategic Plan 2010-14 and Contaminated Land Management Strategy 2011
• Aimed at a risk based approach to manage contaminated sites using a database to record, manage & prioritise sites
Background
ERP Structure
• Sarah Brown – Director• Vicki Pearce – Assistant Director• Scott Callinan – Acting Assistant Director• Scott Heiman – Project Officer• Tye Boyd – Acting Project Officer• Dustin Joseph – Acting Project Officer• Geoff Plunkett – Research Officer• Vacant – Assistant Director
Current Programs
• Conventional Contamination– The general program which commenced in 2003– Predominantly on the Defence estate
• Toxic Remnants of War– Result of the Columboola Old Chemical Weapons project– Mostly off the current Defence estate
• Unexploded Ordnance– Function transferred from PM Branch in March 2012– Combination of both on and off the Defence estate
Current Projects
• $30m remediation project at Point Cook
• Preparing Maribyrnong for remediation
• Ongoing remediation at HMAS Stirling
• UST/AST investigation across estate
• Groundwater investigation at AACO
• Groundwater quality investigation at Amberley
• Ongoing remediation at Mulwala
• Quail Island UXO remediation
• TRW historical research
Point Cook Contamination
Recent Remediation Projects
• Marrangaroo Army Depot NSW – 56 explosive ordnance waste pits• RAAF Learmonth WA – landfills, wastes and fuel plumes• Fleet Base West WA– groundwater plumes• Evans Head NSW – soil hydrocarbon contamination• RAAF Amberley Qld – buried wastes and creek impacts• Mulwala NSW – groundwater plumes• RAAF Tindal, Darwin and Townsville – Fire fighting foam and fuel
plumes • World War II US Army depot at Columboola – Old Chemical Weapons
Destruction
Recent Remediation Projects
Mustard Agent CleanupColumboola Qld
• Stage 1 Preliminary investigations completed at 75 properties.
• Stage 2 Detailed intrusive investigations completed at 61 properties.
• Stage 3 Remediation projects completed at 42 properties.
Status of Contamination Management
How Much More is Out There?
• 2,300 confirmed instances of conventional contamination across 160 properties
• 1,500 instances of UXO contamination listed on the database
• Total identified financial liability - $440m– Only includes those sites where consultant reports confirm
contamination– Only includes current Defence estate– Does not include known UXO or TRW on former Defence
owned or leased
• Defence has a responsibility to remediate contaminated sites resulting from its activities
• Protect human health and the environment
• It is morally the right thing to do
• Polluter pays principle
• Ensures Defence estate meets ongoing capability requirements
• Manage the Commonwealth financial liability associated with contamination
Why Does Defence Care?
Why Does Defence Care?
How Does Defence Manage Its Contamination
• Risk based approach– Highest priorities addressed first
• Assess impacts of change in land use and address accordingly– Divestment– Defence redevelopment
• Meet the spirit and intent of State based environmental legislation
• Don’t ignore it and assume the next project will address it
How Does Defence Manage Its Contamination (cont)
• Conduct investigations in accordance with most stringent investigation guidelines available.
• Panel of experts used to deliver services.
• Expert peer review and advice on each project
How Does Defence Manage Its Contamination (cont)
How Does Defence Manage Its Contamination
Contaminated Sites Register
• Primary management tool
• Details all known contamination on the Defence estate
• Contains links to all known environmental reports
• Provides recommendations for future works or management strategies
• Assist in prioritising sites
Contaminated Sites Register
• Its not just a ‘nice to have’
• The tool that is used to identify financial liability
• ANAO Requirement
• ANAO audits a portion of the CSR each year
• ANAO are progressively conducting more intensive audits
Other Management Approaches• In 2005, Defence became a core partner of the CRC CARE
• Benefits of partnership is to align Defence with industry leaders in contamination research and remediation technologies
• Current projects include:– Investigations into the toxicity and persistence of Aqueous
Film Forming Foam (AFFF) and management technologies;– Investigations into appropriate management of hydrocarbon
and solvent plumes
• Bi annual conference to be held in Melbourne in mid September 2013
Other Management Approaches
• Funding challenges – it is expensive work and competes with other Defence priorities
• Hard to forecast and difficult to predict eg: redevelopment on bases constantly finds new instances
• Unique chemicals used by Defence – need to work with R&D organisations and industry to solve problems
• Need to focus on groundwater protection – Off-site impacts will mean we need to do more
Challenges Ahead
Challenges Ahead
ERP / CFI Working Together
• Review the CSR early
• Update the CSR– Have the consultants do it as part of their scope
• Communicate with us– Tell us how we can assist
• Don’t ignore contamination
• Questions / discussion