Environmental Remediation Programs

1. Environmental Remediation Programs Capital Facilities & Infrastructure Branch Development Activity 22 February 2013

2. Overview • Background • ERP structure • Current programs / projects • Recent remediation projects • Status of Defence contamination • Why does Defence care? • How does Defence manage contamination? • Challenges ahead • ERP / CFI working together • Questions / discussion

3. Background Background • National Contamination Remediation Program commenced in 2003 • Supports Defence’s Environmental Strategic Plan 2010-14 and Contaminated Land Management Strategy 2011 • Aimed at a risk based approach to manage contaminated sites using a database to record, manage & prioritise sites

4. ERP Structure • Sarah Brown – Director • Vicki Pearce – Assistant Director • Scott Callinan – Acting Assistant Director • Scott Heiman – Project Officer • Tye Boyd – Acting Project Officer • Dustin Joseph – Acting Project Officer • Geoff Plunkett – Research Officer • Vacant – Assistant Director

5. Current Programs • Conventional Contamination • The general program which commenced in 2003 • Predominantly on the Defence estate • Toxic Remnants of War • Result of the Columboola Old Chemical Weapons project • Mostly off the current Defence estate • Unexploded Ordnance • Function transferred from PM Branch in March 2012 • Combination of both on and off the Defence estate

6. Current Projects • $30m remediation project at Point Cook • Preparing Maribyrnong for remediation • Ongoing remediation at HMAS Stirling • UST/AST investigation across estate • Groundwater investigation at AACO • Groundwater quality investigation at Amberley • Ongoing remediation at Mulwala • Quail Island UXO remediation • TRW historical research

7. Point Cook Contamination

8. Recent Remediation Projects Recent Remediation Projects • Marrangaroo Army Depot NSW – 56 explosive ordnance waste pits • RAAF Learmonth WA – landfills, wastes and fuel plumes • Fleet Base West WA– groundwater plumes • Evans Head NSW – soil hydrocarbon contamination • RAAF Amberley Qld – buried wastes and creek impacts • Mulwala NSW – groundwater plumes • RAAF Tindal, Darwin and Townsville – Fire fighting foam and fuel plumes • World War II US Army depot at Columboola – Old Chemical Weapons Destruction

9. Mustard Agent CleanupColumboola Qld

10. Status of Contamination Management • Stage 1 Preliminary investigations completed at 75 properties. • Stage 2 Detailed intrusive investigations completed at 61 properties. • Stage 3 Remediation projects completed at 42 properties.

11. How Much More is Out There? • 2,300 confirmed instances of conventional contamination across 160 properties • 1,500 instances of UXO contamination listed on the database • Total identified financial liability - $440m • Only includes those sites where consultant reports confirm contamination • Only includes current Defence estate • Does not include known UXO or TRW on former Defence owned or leased

12. Why Does Defence Care? Why Does Defence Care? • Defence has a responsibility to remediate contaminated sites resulting from its activities • Protect human health and the environment • It is morally the right thing to do • Polluter pays principle • Ensures Defence estate meets ongoing capability requirements • Manage the Commonwealth financial liability associated with contamination

14. How Does Defence Manage Its Contamination • Risk based approach • Highest priorities addressed first • Assess impacts of change in land use and address accordingly • Divestment • Defence redevelopment • Meet the spirit and intent of State based environmental legislation • Don’t ignore it and assume the next project will address it

15. How Does Defence Manage Its Contamination (cont) How Does Defence Manage Its Contamination (cont) • Conduct investigations in accordance with most stringent investigation guidelines available. • Panel of experts used to deliver services. • Expert peer review and advice on each project

16. How Does Defence Manage Its Contamination

17. Contaminated Sites Register • Primary management tool • Details all known contamination on the Defence estate • Contains links to all known environmental reports • Provides recommendations for future works or management strategies • Assist in prioritising sites

21. Contaminated Sites Register • Its not just a ‘nice to have’ • The tool that is used to identify financial liability • ANAO Requirement • ANAO audits a portion of the CSR each year • ANAO are progressively conducting more intensive audits

22. Other Management Approaches Other Management Approaches • In 2005, Defence became a core partner of the CRC CARE • Benefits of partnership is to align Defence with industry leaders in contamination research and remediation technologies • Current projects include: • Investigations into the toxicity and persistence of Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF) and management technologies; • Investigations into appropriate management of hydrocarbon and solvent plumes • Bi annual conference to be held in Melbourne in mid September 2013

23. Challenges Ahead Challenges Ahead • Funding challenges – it is expensive work and competes with other Defence priorities • Hard to forecast and difficult to predict eg: redevelopment on bases constantly finds new instances • Unique chemicals used by Defence – need to work with R&D organisations and industry to solve problems • Need to focus on groundwater protection • Off-site impacts will mean we need to do more

24. ERP / CFI Working Together • Review the CSR early • Update the CSR • Have the consultants do it as part of their scope • Communicate with us • Tell us how we can assist • Don’t ignore contamination

25. Questions / discussion