HazMat Response ArrangementsWestern Australia

Ken RaineManager

Environmental HazardsDepartment of Environment and Conservation

Environmental Impacts of

HazMat Incidents

• Contamination of air, soil, surface and ground water

• Impacts on human and animal health

• Impact on environmental, social and economic factors

• Environmental incidents can destroy a business

What are the impacts?

• Loss of reputation

• Activist attention

• Media Attention

• Share price reduction

• Enforcement action

• Clean up and remediation costs

• Contaminated Sites Act

• Pollution Prevention Notice on land title

• Insurance cancellation

Impacts on business

• Acute: Immediate illness or death

• Chronic: Long term illness

• Delayed: Diseases that may take time to manifest: E.g. cancer or asbestosis..

Health Impacts

• Vertical (downward seepage, upward vapours)

• Lateral (horizontal along a surface or along ground water plumes)

• Combination (3D), e.g. smoke, vapour and gas plumes, soil contamination

Contaminant Movement in the Environment

• Drains have taken the place of creeks in metro areas. Many drains lead to rivers.

• Many drains have soakage as partial disposal, leading to ground water

• Small concentrations of some pollutants are highly toxic to aquatic animals, eg anti-fouling paint, pesticides, hydrocarbons

• Hydrocarbons (fuels/oils) affect surface animals and plants

Surface Water

• Perth coastal plain mainly sandy

• Contaminants move downwards quickly

• 50% of Perth's drinking water

• Ground water as little as one metre down

• Moves slowly (eg 20 metres per year)

• Very hard to clean up

• Case: Thornlie pesticide factory-18 years

Groundwater

• Contaminated soil, water, equipment

• Few alternatives

• Disposal sites become contaminated sites

• Transport can cause secondary contamination

• NIMBY

• High Costs: response agencies, public, insurers

Disposal of Wastes

DEC Draft HazMat Clean Up Policy and Procedures

• 1. DEC Policy position on Hazmat clean ups

• 2. DEC Officer’s guideline on HazMat clean ups

• 3. Environmental Risk Assessment Template

• 4. Clean Up Scope of Works Template

• 5. MoU with Fire and Rescue

• 6. Approved Emergency Responder System

The System

Objectives:

1. Provide clear government expectations for HazMat clean ups

2. Promote consistency around Western Australia in relation to HazMat clean ups

3. Provide a simple system for determining the extent of clean up, and prioritisation of actions

4. Ensure accountability in clean up decision making.

5. Maximise the likelihood of payment for clean ups

DEC Draft HazMat Clean Up Policy

Hazardous materials must be cleaned up unless:

• Insignificant risk to environment and public health

• Acceptable biodegradation

• Unacceptable damage to environment from the clean up

DEC Draft Clean Up Policy

Hierarchy of priorities

1. Prevent environmental harm

2. Minimise environmental harm

3. Mitigate environmental harm

4. Off-set environmental harm

5. Minimise costs to the community

DEC Clean Up Guidelines

•Identifies the material

•Determines the risk to the environment

•Establishes the required clean up

•Determines the priorities

Environmental Risk Assessment Template

• Establishes the responsible party• Defines the required clean up actions• Sets out priority actions:

Emergency Actions (immediate)Time critical actions (48 hrs)Non-time critical actions (14 days)

Agreement on who pays

Clean Up Scope of Works

• Overfilling of above-ground tank• Spillage (1000 litres) • Spillage went down drain• Drains lead to a wetland• Wetland impacted

Case Study: Fuel spill 2008

Fuel Tank

Spill was not quickly contained and entered wetland

Significant Impact: Clean Up Ordered

Clean Up Contractors not coordinated

Inadequate actions lead to delays and further impacts

Wildlife

Wildlife

Major Clean Up (weeks)

• Clean up costs around $1,000,000

• Plus rehabilitation costs for wetland

• Plus enforcement action costs

Approximate Costs

• Spill had been prevented = $0

• Spill had been prevented entering drains = $500

• Spill had been contained in drains = $5,000

• Spill contained at entry to wetland = $10,000

• Clean up done quickly and coordinated = $30,000

• Savings on insurance payout up to $1,000,000 +++++

IF