Licence conditions for pollution studies and reduction program


  

Licence conditions for pollution studies and reduction programs

Summary
 
Licence number: 11220
Title: Pollution Reduction Study 7 - Contaminated Water Management Plan
Start date: 15 Oct 2023
 
Licence Condition
On 30 March 2022 a pollution incident of contaminated water was reported to the EPA. Water discharged from the premises contained elevated levels of contaminants. On 22 February 2023 the EPA inspected the Premises to assess surface water management. This condition is to address improvements identified by the EPA as being necessary. The contaminated site water management plan required by this pollution reduction study is intended to provide practical measures that will be taken to prevent, control, abate, or mitigate pollution and protect the environment from harm. Following the submission of this pollution reduction study, the EPA intends to vary the licence to include new condition(s) formalising the implementation of upgrade works to prevent, control, abate, or mitigate pollution and protect the environment from harm.
The Licensee must engage a suitably qualified consultant to prepare a contaminated water management plan that proposes upgrades to site water management and includes proposed dates for the implementation of these upgrades. The contaminated water management plan must include: A detailed water balance that incorporates evaporation, treatment and reuse/disposal. Separation of clean and contaminated water. Drainage from all areas that will mobilise contaminants when stormwater runs over these areas must be controlled and diverted through appropriate capture and containment systems. Drainage structures and infrastructure that prevent groundwater contamination. Contaminated water collected and stored in a dam or equivalent structure (e.g. blind sump) that is lined so as to prevent groundwater contamination. The contaminated water storage system liner must be (or must be equivalent to) a clay or modified soil liner consisting of at least 900 mm of recompacted clay with an in-situ permeability (K) of less than 10-9 m/s and which includes the following in the design/installation: successive layers should be of compatible material, and each underlying layer should be scoured to prevent excessive permeability due to the lamination; and the sides should generally have a slope not exceeding a gradient of one vertical to three horizontal, in order to allow suitable compaction of the barrier and to facilitate subsequent testing. Contaminated water dams or structures that have monitoring equipment installed to ensure that they maintain their designed freeboard. The contaminated water dam must be capable of at least accepting the run-off generated by any 1-in-10-year, 24-hour-period storm event without overflowing. The area of the site that can generate contaminated stormwater when water runs over it must be minimised.The drainage network must open or grated to reduce the potential for confinement and associated increased risk of explosion. The Licensee must send the EPA a contaminated water management plan prepared in accordance with this condition to info@epa.nsw.gov.au by 31 May 2024.