NSW Environmental Protection Agency NSW Government
 

Pollution Incident Response Management Plans

A Pollution Incident Response Management Plan (PIRMP) is a document that outlines what procedures are in place to minimise the risk of a pollution incident on a premises. 

This includes having clear and effective notification, action and communication procedures to ensure the incident is dealt with safely, and all relevant people and authorities are notified, and kept informed throughout the incident.

All holders of environment protection licences, or licensees, are required to prepare a PIRMP in accordance with section 153A of the Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997 (POEO Act).

To assist licensees with preparing a PIRMP, the NSW EPA has developed a PIRMP Guideline, which provides details on the legislative requirements, and how to prepare, test and implement the plan. This Guideline was updated in 2019.

PIRMP Guideline

The Guideline: Pollution Incident Response Management Plans (PIRMP Guideline)(PDF 13MB) sets out the PIRMP requirements for licensees under the POEO Act and the Protection of the Environment Operations (General) Regulation 2022 (the General Regulation).  

PIRMP Guideline being updated

Please note that the PIRMP Guideline is currently being updated.  While updates are being undertaken it should be noted that:

  • NSW Health are no longer required to be notified when a pollution incident causes or threatens to cause material harm. See Duty to notify pollution incidents for information on notification requirements.
  • PIRMP requirements for holders of licences for environmentally hazardous chemicals – non-premises based are the same as the requirements for the holders of trackable waste transport licences.

The PIRMP Guideline is designed to help licensees (or other persons required to develop a PIRMP) to meet their legislative obligations by providing:

Frequently asked questions

The EPA has developed a series of FAQs in relation to the PIRMP requirements.