Licence conditions for pollution studies and reduction program


  

Licence conditions for pollution studies and reduction programs

Summary
 
Licence number: 779
Title: PRS 26 - Coal ash repository water sampling program and characterisation
Start date: 15 Nov 2021
 
Licence Condition
By 28 February 2022, the licensee must prepare, and submit to the EPA, a Coal Ash Repository Water Sampling Program (Program) aimed at characterising surface and groundwater (including seepage) discharges associated with coal ash repositories (including ash dams and open cut mine voids) at the Premises. The Program must: a) be prepared by a suitably qualified and experienced person/s in consultation with the EPA; b) be informed by contemporary information and data regarding the pollutants potentially present in coal ash dam water; c) be consistent with the Approved methods for the sampling and analysis of water pollutants in New South Wales (EPA, 2022); d) include a site map that clearly identifies the following: i. all relevant components of the coal ash water management system (e.g. ash dam cells, decant ponds, return water ponds, seepage collection system); ii. groundwater bores and piezometers; iii. all discharge points and flow paths to receiving waters, and iv. all proposed sampling locations. e) set out the proposed sampling program, that includes: i. sampling of (as relevant):   ·       controlled discharges ·       managed overflows ·       surface water storages related to coal ash management (e.g. ash dam cells, decant ponds) ·       seepage water (e.g. seepage collection ponds, surface expressions) ·       any groundwater bores or piezometers screened within or adjacent to the coal ash repository   ii. the sampling conditions/frequency and the duration of the sampling program, including rationale and justification for the proposed sampling frequencies and duration of the program; and iii. the analytical suite including all pollutants present at non-trivial levels, based on any existing monitoring data and a risk assessment of the range of potential pollutants that could be present. The Program must be provided to the EPA via email to: info@epa.nsw.gov.au. Note: The licensee has provided the Program to the EPA, satisfying the requirements of this condition.
The licensee must implement the Coal Ash Repository Water Sampling Program detailed in the report titled "Bayswater Ash Dam and Ravensworth Void North Watering Monitoring Program", prepared by AECOM Australia Pty Ltd, dated 13 May 2022 (EPA reference DOC22/387344).
By 30 November 2023, the licensee must prepare, and provide to the EPA, a Coal Ash Repository Water Characterisation Report (Water Characterisation Report) that details the findings of the Coal Ash Repository Water Sampling Program required under PRS 26. The Water Characterisation Report must: a) be prepared by a suitably qualified and experienced person/s and in consultation with the EPA; b) include all sampling results and summary statistics; c) include, as a separate electronic attachment, an Excel spreadsheet file of all results. This file must provide results in long format, with sampling dates as row labels and analytes as column labels; d) screen sampling results for pollutants of concern with reference to relevant guidelines including the Australian and New Zealand Guidelines for Fresh and Marine Water Quality (ANZG, 2018). (Where no ANZG [2018] guideline value exists, relevant benchmark values from other sources, including other guidelines, scientific literature and grey literature, should be used); and e) identify all potential pollutants of concern in the ash water. The Water Characterisation Report must be provided to the EPA by email to info@epa.nsw.gov.au. 
The EPA has received and is reviewing the Water Characterisation Report as required by the above condition.