Licence conditions for pollution studies and reduction program

Licence conditions for pollution studies and reduction programs

Summary

Licence number:

828

Title:

Pollution Reduction Program (PRP) 50 - Installation of new Pollution Controls at the Prill Tower

Start date:

05 Aug 2020

Licence Condition
Background The Lower Hunter Particle Characterisation Study (2015) found that a portion of the PM2.5 detected at the Stockton ambient air quality monitoring station was composed of primary ammonium nitrate. Primary ammonium nitrate was subsequently found to make up about 40 % of the PM2.5 detected at the Stockton ambient air monitoring station in winter; a time when the monitor is often downwind of the Prill Tower. The licensee has completed Pollution Reduction Program (PRP) 46 and PRP 47, which were investigations into feasible options to reduce PM2.5 emissions from the Prill Tower. The licensee has identified that irrigated fibrebed scrubber technology is an appropriate pollution control for the Prill Tower air emissions. This PRP is the next step, being formalisation of the installation of new pollution controls to address PM2.5 emissions from the Prill Tower.
Deliverables
The licensee must install an irrigated fibrebed scrubber at the Prill Tower (Point 16) to minimise PM2.5 ammonium nitrate emissions from the premises. The licensee must carry out the project as follows: a) By 1 February 2021, the licensee must complete all geotechnical and structural engineering investigations associated with the current Prill Tower (including but not limited to intrusive structural investigations of the Prill Tower foundations) and prepare a stakeholder engagement and a regulatory approvals plan for the project - COMPLETED b) By 1 October 2021, the licensee must complete all necessary final engineering designs for the project to allow for the procurement tendering process to commence for long lead time items - COMPLETED c) By 1 April 2022, the licensee must finalise orders for all long lead-time items for the project - COMPLETED d) By 30 September 2023, the licensee must complete all necessary pre-works for the project (including earthworks, civil, electrical, structural and mechanical works) and receive the scrubber at the premises; e) By 30 September 2024, the licensee must achieve practical completion of the project; f) By 30 November 2024, the licensee must achieve final completion of the project. . Note: This PRP has been added to the licence during the COVID-19 pandemic in mid-2020. COVID has resulted in delays, particularly for items that need to be imported from abroad. The EPA recognises that there might need to be some refinement to the above dates depending upon how the COVID pandemic plays out.
The licensee must submit to the EPA’s Director Metro North a progress report within sixty days of each of the dates given in the condition above. Each progress report must include, but need not be limited to: a) an overview of the project; b) a description of the project activities and works completed during the period; c) a description of the project activities and works proposed for the next period; d) a summary of any significant deviation(s) from the engineering design or the milestones given in the condition above, along with their cause.
The licensee must notify the EPA’s Director Metro North within thirty days of becoming aware of any significant deviation from the engineering design or the milestones and their cause.