Landfill Environmental Management Plan for Marulan Landfill

Landfill Environmental Management Plan for Marulan Landfill Goulburn Mulwaree Council PHIL HAWLEY & ASSOCIATES Civil Engineers & Managers PO Box 3009, NOWRA NORTH, NSW, 2541 Phone 61 2 4446 0310 Fax 61 2 4446 0511 Email: info@philhawley.com.au Internet www.philhawley.com.au 08/012 October 2008 LEMP V1.0 Goulburn Mulwaree Council Marulan Waste Management Centre Environmental Management Plan This page intentionally blank Phil Hawley & Associates 08/012 Page 1 of 61 LEMP V1.0 Goulburn Mulwaree Council Marulan Waste Management Centre Environmental Management Plan CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1. Introduction 1.1. Background 1.2. Objectives 1.3. Limitations 2. Statutory Requirements 2.1. Local Government Act 2.2. NSW Department of Environment and Climate Change 2.3. Sydney Catchment Authority 3. Site Characteristics 3.1. Location 3.2. Land Ownership 3.3. Zoning 3.4. Climate 3.5. Hydrology 3.6. Flora and Fauna 4. Landfill Design & Operations 4.1. General 4.2. Quantities of Solid Waste 4.2.1. 4.2.2. 4.3.1. 4.3.2. 4.3.3. 4.3.4. 4.3.5. 4.3.6. Current Future General Domestic Waste Recycling Garden Organics Commercial and Industrial Waste Materials Scavenging Price Mechanisms 6 7 7 7 8 9 9 9 10 11 11 11 11 12 13 14 16 16 16 16 18 18 18 19 19 19 20 20 20 20 21 22 22 22 Page 2 of 61 LEMP V1.0 4.3. Waste Minimisation 4.4. Site Layout 4.5. Plan of Filling 4.6. Final Landform and Life of the Site 4.7. Waste Disposal Infrastructure Preparation 4.7.1. 4.7.2. General Quarry Preparation Phil Hawley & Associates 08/012 Goulburn Mulwaree Council Marulan Waste Management Centre Environmental Management Plan 4.7.3. 4.7.4. 4.8.1. 4.8.2. 4.8.3. 4.8.4. 4.8.5. 4.8.6. 4.9.1. 4.9.2. 4.9.2.1. 4.9.2.2. 4.10.1. 4.10.2. 4.10.3. 4.10.4. 4.11. 4.12. 4.13. 4.14. 4.15. 4.16. 4.17. 4.18. 4.19. 4.20. Intermediate Capping Layer Leachate Drainage General Material Quantity Estimation Permitted and Excluded Wastes Special Wastes Liquid Wastes Hazardous and Restricted Solid Wastes General Wastes Special Wastes Asbestos Other Special Wastes Daily Cover Intermediate Cover Filled Areas Final Cover Site Supervision and Control Staffing Hours of Operation Equipment Security Occupational Health and Safety Procedures Wet Weather Operation Access Road Maintenance Fire Control Record Keeping 23 23 23 23 24 24 25 25 25 26 26 27 27 28 28 28 28 29 29 29 31 31 32 32 33 33 33 33 35 36 36 Surface Water Groundwater Leachate Landfill Gas Odour 36 37 37 39 39 39 Page 3 of 61 LEMP V1.0 4.8. Waste Receival 4.9. Waste Deposition 4.10. Covering Layers 5. Environmental Requirements 5.1. Water 5.1.1. 5.1.2. 5.1.3. 5.2.1. 5.2.2. 5.2. Atmospheric Phil Hawley & Associates 08/012 Goulburn Mulwaree Council Marulan Waste Management Centre Environmental Management Plan 5.2.3. 5.2.4. 5.2.5. 5.3. Other 5.3.1. 5.3.2. 5.3.3. Vermin Vehicle Cleaning Noxious Weed Control Programme Litter Dust Noise 39 40 40 40 40 41 41 42 42 42 44 45 45 46 46 46 46 46 48 48 48 48 49 49 49 50 50 51 52 53 6. Environmental Monitoring 6.1. 6.2. 6.3. 6.4. 6.5. General Leachate and Stormwater Groundwater Landfill Gas Complaints 7. Site Rehabilitation and Closure Plan 7.1. 7.2. 7.3. 7.4. Future Landuse Landscaping and Revegetation Capital Works Plan Transfer Station 8. Post-Closure Management 8.5. 8.6. 8.7. Environmental Management Environmental Monitoring Maintenance 9. Reporting 9.1. 9.2. Incident Reporting Annual Reporting 10. Review 10.1. General 11. Appendices Appendix 1 – SYDNEY CATCHMENT AUTHORITY REQUIREMENTS Appendix 2 – WEIGHT FACTORS BY VEHICLE AND WASTE TYPE Appendix 3 – GROUNDWATER BORE AND FARM DAM WATER QUALITY ANALYSIS APRIL & JULY 2008 54 Appendix 4 – DRAWINGS 56 Appendix 4 – EXTRACT OF EMAIL FROM GMSC REGARDING DEVELOPMENT CONSENT 60 FOR GRAVEL EXTRACTION Appendix 5 – CAPITAL WORKS SEQUENCE AND ESTIMATES 61 Phil Hawley & Associates 08/012 Page 4 of 61 LEMP V1.0 Goulburn Mulwaree Council Marulan Waste Management Centre Environmental Management Plan Figure 1: Extract from Draft LEP Zoning Map Figure 2: Mean Monthly Rainfall for Goulburn (Source Bureau of Meteorology) Figure 3: Marulan Waste Management Centre (Scale: 1:800 at A1) Figure 4: Clay Barrier Profile Figure 5: Synthetic Barrier Profile Figure 6: Borehole Locations Figure 7: Typical Rural Transfer Station 11 13 15 29 30 44 47 Drawing 1: Contour Survey as at February 2008 Drawing 2: Design Surface Drawing 3: Filling Sequence Plan 57 58 59 Acknowledgement The assistance of Leslie & Thompson, Surveyors in undertaking the survey work and preparing the design drawings for this document is gratefully acknowledged. Phil Hawley & Associates 08/012 Page 5 of 61 LEMP V1.0 Goulburn Mulwaree Council Marulan Waste Management Centre Environmental Management Plan Any representation, statement, opinion or advice expressed or implied in this document is made in good faith and the information contained in this report is based on sources believed to be reliable. However, as no independent verification is possible, Phil Hawley & Associates, together with its members, associates and employees, gives no warranty that the said sources are correct, and accepts no responsibility for any resultant errors contained herein or any damage or loss, howsoever caused, suffered by any individual or corporation. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Although a relatively small rural landfill, the Marulan Waste Management Facility is situated on the watershed between two of Sydney’s drinking water catchments and as such must be operated in an environmentally responsible manner. Goulburn Mulwaree Council, the owner and operator of the landfill, is aware of this requirement and has accordingly commissioned the preparation of this Landfill Environmental Management Plan, notwithstanding that at the present time there is no requirement for the landfill to be licensed. This Plan is designed to guide the Council in the sound environmental management of the Marulan landfill and to also ensure that this scarce resource is operated in such a way as to maximise its useful life whilst minimising its environmental impact. Upon closure of the landfill it is proposed that a transfer station be established on the site. The Plan includes sections on landfill design, final surface contours, environmental controls, operating procedures and monitoring and reporting requirements. Phil Hawley & Associates 08/012 Page 6 of 61 LEMP V1.0 Goulburn Mulwaree Council Marulan Waste Management Centre Environmental Management Plan 1. Introduction 1.1. Background Goulburn Mulwaree Council (GMC) is the owner and operator of the Marulan Waste Management Centre (MWMC) at Lot 6 DP588696 and Lot 285 DP 750029 Wilsons Drive, Marulan. This facility provides waste disposal services to the residents of Marulan and surrounding rural areas and has been in operation for a number of years. It occupies the site of a former quarry although the quarry space has now been substantially filled. Until the local government amalgamations that took place in 2004, the facility was operated by the former Mulwaree Shire Council under contract and there are no substantive records that have survived from that era. The MWMC straddles the boundary of both the Warragamba and Shoalhaven catchments which are managed by the Sydney Catchment Authority and so careful site management is required to ensure no potential contamination of Sydney’s drinking water. With this in mind and also wanting to ensure maximum life, environmentally responsible site management and the ability to convert the facility when filled into a future transfer station, GMC commissioned Phil Hawley & Associates to prepare this Landfill Environmental Management Plan (LEMP) so as to guide it in attaining these outcomes. 1.2. Objectives This LEMP has been prepared based on the Environmental Guidelines: Solid Waste Landfill 19961 (the Guidelines) issued by the former New South Wales Environment Protection Authority (now the Department of Environment and Climate Change (DECC)). Council is preparing this LEMP voluntarily as there is no statutory obligation to prepare a LEMP because the facility receives less than 5,000 tonnes per annum (tpa) and does not otherwise support scheduled activities. It is therefore not required to be licensed. The objectives of this LEMP are to: • • • • Maximise the useful life of the current landfill Minimise the environmental impact of the landfill Protect Sydney’s drinking water Guide the Council in the ongoing management and subsequent remediation and closure of the MWMC 1 Environmental Guidelines: Solid Waste Landfill, NSW Environment Protection Authority, January 1996 Phil Hawley & Associates 08/012 Page 7 of 61 LEMP V1.0 Goulburn Mulwaree Council Marulan Waste Management Centre Environmental Management Plan • • Establish the framework for ongoing use of the site as a waste transfer facility once the landfill is closed Ensure that GMC fulfils its statutory obligations with respect to the MWMC 1.3. Limitations Because of the limited information available and there being no statutory requirement to prepare this LEMP, it is based on readily attainable information from Council records, the public domain, a topographic survey and testing of surface and sub-surface waters. No geological or other sub-surface investigations have been undertaken. Similarly, no flora, fauna or other studies have been conducted. However, the LEMP does set out requirements for the operation, closure and rehabilitation of the MWMC to ensure that the above objectives are achieved. Council is obligated to ensure that the facility is managed and operated in accordance with these requirements. Phil Hawley & Associates 08/012 Page 8 of 61 LEMP V1.0 Goulburn Mulwaree Council Marulan Waste Management Centre Environmental Management Plan 2. Statutory Requirements 2.1. Local Government Act The Local Government Act 1993 gives GMC the responsibility for collecting and disposing of domestic waste and hence Council must provide a facility for the receipt and responsible disposal of this waste. 2.2. NSW Department of Environment and Climate Change The Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997 establishes responsibilities with respect to the operation and closure of waste facilities. In particular, Sections 75 and 76 contains provisions with respect to the operation and closure of licensed landfills. The MWMC is not required to be licensed as it receives substantially less than 5,000 tonnes per annum of waste. However there is merit in preparing the closure plan, which is part of this LEMP, in accordance with these requirements. Further, GMC gave an undertaking to the DECC that it would prepare a LEMP during the early part of 2008. The Protection of the Environment Operations (Waste) Regulation 2005 is mainly intended to manage the application of the levy under S88 of the Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997 (POEO Act), from which GMC is exempt. However, it also places obligations on the transport of waste and as a waste receiver, also on GMC to ensure compliance with the transport regulations. Additionally, it regulates the receipt and disposal of asbestos at the MWMC and imposes on GMC a requirement to report annually to the DECC. The Waste Avoidance and Resource Recovery Act 2001 imposes on the NSW Government an obligation to develop a state-wide waste strategy. This strategy (WARR), which is to be reviewed every two-years, is binding on councils in NSW, including GWC. The 2007 WARR strategy revision contains targets for recycling, particularly for commercial and industrial (C&I) wastes and construction and demolition (C&D) wastes; the latter are particularly relevant to the operation of the MWMC. Although there are no specific directives with respect to GMC, it would be prudent for Council to actively support the WARR strategic direction. The Environmental Guidelines: Solid Waste Landfill 1996 provides a performance based approach to the design and operation of landfills and achieving environmental outcomes. This document lists the issues that must be addressed within an LEMP for a licensed landfill. The Protection of the Environment Operations Amendment (Scheduled Activities and Waste) Regulation 2008 (the 2008 Regulation) imposes new requirements for the scheduled activities and also calls up the Environmental Guidelines: Solid Waste Phil Hawley & Associates 08/012 Page 9 of 61 LEMP V1.0 Goulburn Mulwaree Council Marulan Waste Management Centre Environmental Management Plan Landfill 1996 for the operation of landfills. If the facility can be demonstrated to contain more than 5 tonnes of hazardous waste, restricted solid waste, liquid waste, clinical or related waste or asbestos waste stored on the premises at any time then this will be a scheduled activity and the MWMC will be required to be licensed. The Waste Classification Guidelines published by the DECC in April 2008 provide guidance on appropriately classifying different types of waste. 2.3. Sydney Catchment Authority The Sydney Water Catchment Management Act 1998 confers on the Sydney Catchment Authority (SCA) the ability to control certain activities within the water catchment areas for Sydney. Contact was made with the SCA to ascertain any requirements that it may have with respect to the LEMP. These are attached at Appendix 1 – Sydney Catchment Authority Requirements This LEMP addresses the issues raised by the SCA. Phil Hawley & Associates 08/012 Page 10 of 61 LEMP V1.0 Goulburn Mulwaree Council Marulan Waste Management Centre Environmental Management Plan 3. Site Characteristics 3.1. Location The MWMC is situated on the site of a disused quarry at Lot 6 DP588696 and Lot 285 DP 750029 Wilsons Drive, Marulan. The site is located on the crown of a hill and so is exposed to the prevailing winds and potentially visible from a wide area. The majority of the landfill site is highly disturbed having been previously used for quarrying operations. There is open pastoral land surrounding the site on all sides although the land to the north and west also contains a concrete batch plant. No services are provided to the site. 3.2. Land Ownership The site is owned by Goulburn Mulwaree Shire Council. The legal description is: Parish: Marulan Lot 6 DP 588696 Crosby’s Pit (gravel pits). 3.3. Zoning The draft Goulburn Mulwaree Council Local Environmental Plan 2008 (the draft LEP) zones the land as SP2 Special Purposes 2 Infrastructure – Waste Management Facility, so the use is permitted under the draft LEP. The surrounding land is all zoned IN1 General Industrial, apart from a portion to the north east that is zoned IN2 Light Industrial (shown in a lighter shade in the top right hand corner of Figure 1 below). Figure 1: Extract from Draft LEP Zoning Map Phil Hawley & Associates 08/012 Page 11 of 61 LEMP V1.0 Goulburn Mulwaree Council Marulan Waste Management Centre Environmental Management Plan 3.4. Climate The nearest Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) weather station to the site is at Goulburn TAFE, located approximately 25 km to the WSW. The BOM lists the climatic distribution throughout the year at Goulburn TAFE as set out in Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Total (t) or Mean (m) 19.6 (m) Average max daily temperature (OC) Average min daily temperature O ( C) Mean monthly rainfall (mm) Mean daily evaporation (mm) 27.6 26.6 23.9 20.1 16.0 12.4 11.5 13.3 16.4 19.6 22.4 25.9 13.4 13.5 11.2 7.8 4.8 2.4 1.5 2.1 4.5 6.9 11.7 7.4 7.4 (m) 643.7 (t) 3.5 (m) 64.3 57.8 54.7 46.8 45.1 51.0 43.2 53.6 49.5 54.5 69.6 55.7 6.3 5.4 4.1 2.6 1.7 1.1 1.2 1.9 2.8 3.9 4.9 6.1 Table 1 below. Average daily maximum temperatures range from a high of 27.6OC in January to a low of 11.5OC in July, whilst the average daily minima range from a high of 14.5OC in February to a low of 1.5OC in July. Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Total (t) or Mean (m) 19.6 (m) Average max daily temperature O ( C) Average min daily temperature (OC) Mean monthly rainfall (mm) Mean daily evaporation (mm) 27.6 26.6 23.9 20.1 16.0 12.4 11.5 13.3 16.4 19.6 22.4 25.9 13.4 13.5 11.2 7.8 4.8 2.4 1.5 2.1 4.5 6.9 11.7 7.4 7.4 (m) 643.7 (t) 3.5 (m) 64.3 57.8 54.7 46.8 45.1 51.0 43.2 53.6 49.5 54.5 69.6 55.7 6.3 5.4 4.1 2.6 1.7 1.1 1.2 1.9 2.8 3.9 4.9 6.1 Table 1: Climatic Data for Goulburn TAFE (Station No 070263, Lat 34.75O S Long 149.70O E) (Records from 1971 to 2008) The rainfall distribution is generally even throughout the year but with drier winters, as shown in Figure 2 below. Multiplying the daily mean evaporation by 365 gives a mean annual measured evaporation of 1277.5 mm. The ACT Water Resources Act 2007, Section 18 recommends a pan factor of 0.85 for the ACT which when applied to the mean annual measured evaporation would give an actual mean annual evaporation of 1086 mm. This, like in many other parts of Australia, is well in excess of the mean annual rainfall of 644 mm. Phil Hawley & Associates 08/012 Page 12 of 61 LEMP V1.0 Goulburn Mulwaree Council Marulan Waste Management Centre Environmental Management Plan The wind rose charts indicate that the predominant surface winds are from the west both for the 9 am and 3 pm readings, particularly from autumn to spring. During summer there is still a strong westerly component but the winds in the morning are predominately east or north east, swinging around to the west by the afternoon. The nearest weather station to the north east is at Moss Vale, approx 41 km away. This station is located nearer the coast but at a similar elevation (675m Vs 670m above mean sea level). The temperature profile is similar although with slightly less seasonal variation. However, Moss Vale receives a total annual average rainfall of 969.4mm, a 50% increase over Goulburn. There are no evaporation figures available for Moss Vale. It could be assumed therefore that the average annual rainfall at Marulan, by extrapolation, is approximately 767mm. Mean Monthly Rainfall Goulburn TAFE 80 70 60 50 mm 40 30 20 10 0 Fe br ua ry Ju ne be r ry ar ch Ap ril Ju ly be r O ct ob er Ja nu a Au gu s M No ve m Se pt em De ce m M be r ay t Figure 2: Mean Monthly Rainfall for Goulburn (Source Bureau of Meteorology) 3.5. Hydrology Being on the crest of a hill, there is no upstream runoff that has to traverse or bypass the site. The runoff leaving the site flows mostly to the east and to the west. Runoff to the west is mostly from covered areas of the landfill and site facility areas, including paved surfaces. However, some of the catchment shows signs of waste protruding through the cover and so this runoff should be classified as leachate. This flow is concentrated into a small depression below the filled area near the western boundary which would only contain water during wet weather. This depression disperses the runoff onto the adjacent land to the west. The runoff flowing to the east is caught in the remaining unfilled area of the old quarry which acts as a leachate dam. There is a narrow channel that disperses the leachate to the property to the east where it flows across a paddock before being caught in two farm dams in series. Phil Hawley & Associates 08/012 Page 13 of 61 LEMP V1.0 Goulburn Mulwaree Council Marulan Waste Management Centre Environmental Management Plan All runoff leaving the site should at the present time be considered to be leachate. 3.6. Flora and Fauna The Draft LEP Environmentally Sensitive Land Biodiversity Map- Sheet ESL-003 shows the entire site to be environmentally sensitive land. There is a narrow buffer of remnant native forest to the east, south and west of the landfill. Some of this forest has been invaded by exotic weeds, particularly on the western side. There is no readily obtainable information within the public domain with respect to the flora and fauna in the district. Investigations have been conducted with relation to major proposals in the Marulan area e.g. quarry expansion and gas fired power station, but none of the information provided in these studies relates to the site of MWMC. The whole of the MWMC site is highly disturbed, with the possible exception of the vegetative buffer to the south and so it is likely that any threatened, rare or endangered flora or fauna endemic to the area have already been disrupted. Phil Hawley & Associates 08/012 Page 14 of 61 LEMP V1.0 Goulburn Mulwaree Council Marulan Waste Management Centre Environmental Management Plan Figure 3: Marulan Waste Management Centre (Scale: 1:800 at A1) Phil Hawley & Associates 08/012 Page 15 of 61 LEMP V1.0 Goulburn Mulwaree Council Marulan Waste Management Centre Environmental Management Plan 4. Landfill Design & Operations 4.1. General The current operation is filling an old quarry site and has been in operation for a number of years. The facility was operated for most of its life by a contractor on behalf of the former Mulwaree Shire Council and no records of the filling have survived from this era. It is assumed that there is a large range of types of materials in the landfill including potentially hazardous materials, although there are no records to substantiate this and the leachate testing did no include for heavy metals or other indicators such as phenolics. The testing carried out did not show any major anomalies. The required standards for the design and operation of landfills have changed significantly over the life of this facility and particularly since the release of the Guidelines. As the site is existing and well on the way to being filled, it is not practical or possible to implement many of the best practice requirements contained with the Guidelines such as a clay lining under the waste or intermediate cover of the waste already interred. However, GMSC is committed to operating the MWMC in such a manner as to minimise the environmental impact and ensure that the facility as far as possible achieves the environmental goals for a Class 1 Solid Waste landfill. Specifically, to achieve this objective Council will: • • • Develop a programme of more rigorous waste screening and inspection; Implement a leachate containment and on site management system; Provide appropriate site management and staffing to ensure an effective and efficient landfilling operation; Apply landfilling techniques that minimise leachate generation and nuisance from litter, dust, noise or vermin and that maximise the facility life and utility; and A comprehensive environmental monitoring and reporting programme. • • It is not considered that a landfill gas monitoring and management system will be required due to the relatively small quantities of material contained within the landfill. The following sections describe the design and operation of the landfill. 4.2. Quantities of Solid Waste 4.2.1. Current The only record available to establish quantities and characterisation of waste is the 2006 – 2007 “Yearly Report for Non Licensed Landfill Sites” provided by GMSC to the EPA. This is based on estimated volumes of waste from records of the number of vehicles entering the site and does not provide a reliable indicator of either past or future filling rates. This return estimates that a total landfill volume of 1,200 m3 was consumed during the year. Phil Hawley & Associates 08/012 Page 16 of 61 LEMP V1.0 Goulburn Mulwaree Council Marulan Waste Management Centre Environmental Management Plan Correspondence from GMSC to the EPA suggests that the total estimated waste quantities over the preceding 3 years are as follows: Year 2003/04 2004/05 2005/06 Tonnage 790 804 792 The reported breakup of materials received during 2006-07 is as follows: Percent Volume 2 6 1 25 1 10 3 52 Annual Volume (m3) 24 72 12 300 12 120 36 624 Material Asphalt/Bitumen Concrete Based Food/Kitchen Garden/Vegetatio n Plasterboard Soil/Rubble Wood/Timber Municipal TOTAL 100 1200 Table 2: Landfill Constituent Volumes 2006 - 2007 GMSC provides a domestic kerbside recycling service in the township of Marulan. This has resulted in the recovery of a substantial proportion of the domestic waste that would otherwise end up in the landfill. Items recycled include paper and cardboard, aluminium cans, steel cans, plastic containers (types 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, & 7), glass bottles and jars and aluminium foil. An organics collection service is also provided on a monthly basis. Rural based properties within the catchment for the MWMC are provided with a rural waste card. This card allows up to 55 free visits to the MWMC, with up to 2 bags of waste able to be deposited on each occasion. Separate containers are located at the MWMC for the receipt of the same range of materials as are picked up with the domestic kerbside recycling service. Unfortunately, the recyclables collected from Marulan are aggregated with those collected from other areas and it is not possible to give an estimate of the volumes of materials diverted from landfill. The annual landfill return for 2006-07 suggests that 90 tonnes of recyclables were recovered at the landfill, which suggests a diversion rate of approximately 15% for the material presented at the MWMC. It is worthy of note that 52% by volume of the material landfilled is municipal waste. The remaining 48% is, on the face of it, potentially recoverable (albeit at a cost) and if recovered would double the remaining life of the landfill. Phil Hawley & Associates 08/012 Page 17 of 61 LEMP V1.0 Goulburn Mulwaree Council Marulan Waste Management Centre Environmental Management Plan A topographic survey was conducted of the landfill site in January 2008 and this should be repeated regularly to determine and monitor the rate of filling. 4.2.2. Future Census data has been obtained from the ABS web site for the 2001 and 2006 census. The growth rate in Marulan has been Year Population Table 3: Marulan Census Data 2001 442 2006 540 The figures in Table 3 indicate a 22.2% increase in population between the two censuses, which is a substantial proportional increase although the absolute numbers are small. A 1,500 lot subdivision has been proposed for Marulan. If approved, this subdivision has the potential to increase the population of Marulan by an additional 3,450 persons. Construction is anticipated to commence in 2010. Without substantial waste minimisation strategies it can therefore be expected that waste generation within the Marulan area will increase sevenfold within a relatively short period of time. If this occurs then the facility will exceed the threshold for licensing under the current guidelines It is also proposed that a range of industrial developments be encouraged in Marulan, including heavy industry. An influx of industry has the potential to impose strains on the current MWMC both in terms of volume and types of wastes for disposal. 4.3. Waste Minimisation 4.3.1. General The 2007 WARR Strategy2 has set a target of recycling 66% of municipal waste by 2014. Over the same period of time it is proposed that 63% of commercial and industrial (C&I) waste and 76% of construction and demolition (C&D) waste also be recycled. The report further suggests that typically only 23% of municipal waste, 37% of C&I waste and 36% of C&D waste is currently recycled within rural and regional NSW. The implementation of the kerbside recycling service is an important step in the attainment of these targets. However, the ongoing management of the MWMC is going to have to actively pursue the targets if the rate of filling is to be checked and the life of the facility maximised. 2 NSW Waste Avoidance and Resource Recovery Strategy 2007, NSW Department of Environment and Climate Change, October 2007. Phil Hawley & Associates 08/012 Page 18 of 61 LEMP V1.0 Goulburn Mulwaree Council Marulan Waste Management Centre Environmental Management Plan 4.3.2. Domestic Waste Recycling Recycling of the following materials shall be maintained and expanded where economically possible: • • • • • • • • • • • paper and cardboard; glass; firewood; batteries; aluminium cans; gas cylinders; non-ferrous metals; ferrous metals; PET, HDPE, uPVC; polypropylene plastics; and, used oils. Council should investigate gaining access to regional recovered materials contracts, such as those planned or operated by the South East Resource Recovery Region of Council (SERRROC) to maximise both the price received and the demand for these materials. 4.3.3. Garden Organics Garden organics are currently collected separately at the MWMC and stockpiled. They are currently shredded and used as landscaping on the entrance mounds of the landfill. Total garden organics collected during 2006-07 was only an estimated 59 tonnes. This quantity is insufficient to justify the cost of a bulk shredding contractor. However, the quantities currently received do justify hauling the material to the Goulburn Waste Management Centre for aggregation with the garden organics stockpiled there and ultimate processing. The material would then be handled in accordance with the Goulburn LEMP. 4.3.4. Commercial and Industrial Waste Materials There are currently only small quantities of C&I waste materials received. They would mostly emanate from the small businesses in the Marulan CBD, the large truck stop located nearby and from rural industries. Materials such as car bodies and used oils are currently accepted for recycling. The MWMC is unlikely to have the resources to handle the increased volume of C&I wastes projected for the future except possibly as a transfer station. Accordingly, GMSC will have to ensure that adequate conditions are imposed on new industrial development to ensure that waste materials are appropriately identified at the development application stage and processes developed to manage those wastes without landfilling. Phil Hawley & Associates 08/012 Page 19 of 61 LEMP V1.0 Goulburn Mulwaree Council Marulan Waste Management Centre Environmental Management Plan To facilitate these applications it is recommended that GMSC develop an updated waste strategy for the Shire and consider incorporation of the requirements of the “No Waste Development Control Plan” into its LEP. 4.3.5. Scavenging Scavenging or removal of wastes from the landfill is not permitted. As part of its strategy to minimise waste to landfill GWSC will develop processes for screening incoming waste materials to separate recoverable materials for re-processing. This screening and removal will occur before materials are permitted onto the landfill. The only persons authorised to remove materials from the active landfill face are Council staff, and even then only in accordance with an appropriate Safe Work Method Statement. 4.3.6. Price Mechanisms The current charging regime does not provide sufficient incentive to separate materials into recoverable and non recoverable streams. In particular, GMSC should investigate substantially reducing or even eliminating fees for materials that are also recoverable through the kerbside domestic recycling collection service and also charging a greater differential for mixed loads containing recoverable materials. It was also noted during a site inspection that the method of charging for rural waste customers does not equate with the general disposal fees. For example, a rural waste card holder presenting with a small utility or trailer is charged 2 visits off the card (equivalent to approx. $2.06), whereas any other resident presenting with the same sized load of sorted waste would be charged $10. This clearly does not encourage either waste minimisation or resource recovery from the rural sector and should be addressed. 4.4. Site Layout The existing site layout is shown in Figure 3. Access to the site is from Wilson’s Drive with the entrance at the north eastern corner of the facility. The entrance office and staff amenities are located along the northern boundary of the site toward the western side. It should be noted that Figure 3 shows the northern part of the site as a public road although this is fenced off as though it were part of the MWMF. The currently active landfill face is located generally in the remaining former quarry void in the centre of the site towards the eastern boundary with other filling activity taking place on the generally levelled area to the west of the quarry. The leachate currently collects in the base of this void and is allowed to evaporate. It is pumped out over the landfill if required following a major rainfall event. The whole of the site is fenced, although only the northern and part of the eastern sides, which are the areas generally accessible to the public, have man proof fencing. 4.5. Plan of Filling Filling of the MWMC shall proceed generally as shown on the filling plan in Drawing 3 to achieve the final landform. The proposed final landform levels are shown on Phil Hawley & Associates 08/012 Page 20 of 61 LEMP V1.0 Goulburn Mulwaree Council Marulan Waste Management Centre Environmental Management Plan Drawing 2 and are shaped so as to facilitate the eventual construction of a transfer station on the site. The current quarry shall be filled until it reaches the general level of the rest of the filled landfill at which time an intermediate covering layer shall be placed. Filling shall then proceed over the balance of the site in accordance with the filling plan until the final landform is reached. Filling shall proceed in such a way that all surface water is directed to the leachate ponds and primarily to the eastern pond, i.e. cells 1 – 8 shall be filled from east to west, call 9 from north to south and cells 10 – 20 from west to east Council shall update the filling plan when the quarry area is filled or when otherwise directed by a competent authority. The filling plan should identify the type of waste placed in any area and in particular the location of any special burials such as asbestos and decontaminated soil. The updated plan shall also show the location of haul road and other site facilities. It is expected that the haul road will initially follow from north to south on the western side of the facility as cells 1 – 9 are filled and then revert to the eastern side for the filling of cells 10 – 20. A survey (either aerial of terrestrial) shall be undertaken by a surveyor initially every 2 years and if the volume of material placement increases to the extent that the facility has to be licensed, every 12 months, to determine the extent of landfilling and estimate the quantity of landfill space consumed. The volume estimations shall be compared with gatehouse records to ascertain the accuracy of the estimates of the quantities of materials received, and if necessary to adjust the estimates for future receipts. 4.6. Final Landform and Life of the Site The proposed final landform levels shall be as shown in Drawing 2. This drawing shows that the fill will generally grade to the south from the level of the mound currently located at the northern end of the site. The shape will include a north south running ridge with the surface grading at about 2% to the east and west toward the stormwater ponds. A 3m high north south running mound is to be constructed for a length of approx 80m, with the proposed transfer station to be constructed in the eastern lee of this mound. The area of cells 18 – 20 contains an extensive gravel layer, which is to be progressively excavated and used for daily cover over the rest of the site. The excavated area will then be filled as part of the filling of these cells. GMSC’s Town Planners have indicated that, subject to conditions (see Appendix 4 – Extract of Email from GMSC Regarding Development Consent for Gravel Extraction) the gravel can be won without requiring Development Consent). The remaining volume in the landfill (to the proposed final landform) as of February 2008 when the most recent survey was undertaken is approximately 114,000m3. With Phil Hawley & Associates 08/012 Page 21 of 61 LEMP V1.0 Goulburn Mulwaree Council Marulan Waste Management Centre Environmental Management Plan adequate allowance for the final cover, the usable volume reduces to around 50,000m3. This equates to around 40 years remaining useful life at the current filling rate. In the most recent DECC annual return the remaining volume is estimated at 6,000 m3 (before determination of the final surface contours) or 5 years life. The life of the site will be dependent on the rate of waste receival, which is anticipated to increase as the population of the catchment area increases. The implementation of effective waste minimisation strategies is essential if the facility is to have the expected life before final capping and the construction of a transfer station is required. By that time it is quite possible that some form of alternative waste treatment (AWT) facility will be in place within a reasonable transport distance from Marulan. It is not possible with the current data sets to estimate the remaining life of the facility with sufficient certainty to allow GMSC to plan the timing for future expenditure for landfill closure and the construction of a transfer station. The implementation of better record keeping and routine volumetric surveys will provide better data with which to prepare more accurate remaining life estimates. 4.7. Waste Disposal Infrastructure Preparation 4.7.1. General The following sections generally describe the works necessary for preparing the remainder of the MWMC to be filled. 4.7.2. Quarry Preparation At the present time the quarry is being progressively filled generally from west to east in a single lift and the previously filled areas are also being raised in order to direct surface drainage toward the quarry. Filling shall immediately revert to filling the floor of the quarry and raising the material in lifts not exceeding 2m. Filling should be generally from south to north so as to enable access for plant. The whole of the area is to be filled and thoroughly compacted prior to commencing the next lift. Prior to filling commencing, a slotted drainage pipe properly bedded in granular material and wrapped in geofabric is to be laid on the base of the quarry and conveyed through the rock wall and into the “slot” that currently drains the quarry. This pipe network shall drain to the new leachate pond to be constructed in the slot (Pond #2). Waste material shall then be pushed over the pipe and no machinery is to cross over the pipe until the waste mass is at least 600mm thick. The dam wall located at the upstream end of the slot is to be removed and replaced with an impervious wall to retain the waste mass within the quarry. The side of this wall nearest the landfill mass is to be lined with a granular drainage layer to direct leachate to the base of the wall and into the slotted drainage pipe. Phil Hawley & Associates 08/012 Page 22 of 61 LEMP V1.0 Goulburn Mulwaree Council Marulan Waste Management Centre Environmental Management Plan A clay wall of minimum 1500mm thick compacted clay or other equivalent impermeable material shall be constructed across the “slot” near its outlet upstream from the new stormwater pond. Geotechnical engineering investigation should be conducted to determine the detailed wall designs and the need to key the walls into the sides of the drainage slot. 4.7.3. Intermediate Capping Layer When filling of the quarry is completed, the entire area being filled shall be covered with a 300mm compacted thickness layer of impervious material. The objective of this layer is to prevent the ingress of moisture into the waste mass and so it should be shaped so as to not pond water on the landfill, with a minimum slope of 1%. 4.7.4. Leachate Drainage Leachate ponds shall be constructed on both the eastern and western sides of the landfill. In the case of the western side (shown as Pond #1 on the drawings) an access road shall be constructed so as to also act as a catch drain and direct any surface water to the western pond. A catch drain is to also be constructed south of this pond. The eastern pond (Pond #3) shall be constructed in the position of the current drainage outlet from the quarry as described in Section 4.7.2 above. Ponds 1 & 3 shall be sized to contain both leachate and surface runoff from a 4% AEP (1:25 year) one-day duration storm. Ponds 1 & 2 shall be equipped with pumps and the leachate shall be sprayed back over the surface of the landfill to encourage evaporation of the leachate. Once the landfill is finally capped and the western pond (Pond #1) produces consistent water quality test results over a period of 6 months that indicate that it no longer receives leachate, it will be sufficient for the stormwater to be contained in the pond for sufficient time to allow settlement of suspended matter and then discharged to the environment. 4.8. Waste Receival 4.8.1. General All vehicles entering the site must do so via the gatehouse and the entry of all vehicles is to be recorded. Similarly, the exit of all vehicles taking materials off site is also to be recorded. Given the relatively low volume of traffic at the MWMC it is feasible for the attendant to inspect all loads of waste to ensure that only permitted wastes are received at the centre (see Section 4.8.3, Permitted and Excluded Wastes). The attendant shall direct vehicles containing recoverable materials to the recycling compound for these materials to be unloaded. Only residual materials shall be placed in the landfill. An area shall be established adjacent to the tipping face where small vehicles can deposit their waste. This material shall then be pushed onto the landfill tipping face by the waste compactor on site. Large vehicles fitted with tipping bodies (e.g. the garbage truck) shall be directed to the active tipping face. Phil Hawley & Associates 08/012 Page 23 of 61 LEMP V1.0 Goulburn Mulwaree Council Marulan Waste Management Centre Environmental Management Plan 4.8.2. Material Quantity Estimation As there is no weighbridge at the MWMC and insufficient patronage to justify the capital expenditure to install one, recording of incoming waste and outgoing recyclables will have to continue the current practice of estimating the volume based on the type of vehicle and manual recording. A table of weight factors is included at Appendix 2 – Weight Factors by Vehicle and Waste Type. Although recording is manual it would be appropriate to start recording the information on computer (a laptop can be readily removed from the site when it is not in use). This would ensure that material types and mass are reasonably accurately estimated and the data can be uploaded into a central database, thereby ensuring an ongoing record of incoming and outgoing material that can be built up over time. As the site is not overly busy the operator would have the time to enter this information which also saves time for administration staff who otherwise would have to enter the manual records into the computer. At the very least the currently used “GMC Rural Waste Management Centre Charge Sheet” should be updated to capture better information relating to the volumes of materials received, particularly for bulk loads. 4.8.3. Permitted and Excluded Wastes Only General Solid Waste (Putrescible) shall be accepted for disposal at the MWMC. General Solid Wastes are those not defined as special waste, hazardous waste, restricted solid waste or liquid waste in the 2008 Regulation and include putrescible and non-putrescible wastes from domestic, commercial and industrial sites within the Goulburn Mulwaree Shire. All wastes from commercial and industrial sources must be in solid form and shall comply with the definitions of General Solid Waste as contained with the 2008 Regulation. With the exception of wastes meeting these criteria and used oils accepted for recycling, the following wastes shall be specifically excluded from disposal at the MWMC: liquid wasted of any kind; radioactive material; any inflammable liquid or material derived from grease, oil, tar, petroleum, shale or coal; any sludge or material (unless it can be shown to be innocuous or harmless) being the waste from any industrial process carried on in: any tanning or leather processing plant; any petroleum or petrochemical plant; any paint manufacturing plant; any metal treatment plan; Phil Hawley & Associates 08/012 Page 24 of 61 LEMP V1.0 Goulburn Mulwaree Council Marulan Waste Management Centre Environmental Management Plan any vegetable oil or mineral oil plant; and any pharmaceutical or drum manufacturing plant. any material containing arsenic, cyanide and/or sulphide; any toxic salt of the following: barium lead zinc copper silver chromium selenium cadmium mercury boron manganese any pesticide or weedicide and in particular: chlorinated hydrocarbons; fluorinated hydrocarbons; organophosphates; and phenols. any soluble acid or alkali or acidic or basic compounds. 4.8.4. Special Wastes Special wastes include, but are not limited to: clinical and related waste; asbestos waste; and waste tyres 4.8.5. Liquid Wastes Liquid Wastes include any wastes other than special waste that includes any of the following: anything that: has an angle of repose of less than 5 degrees above horizontal; or becomes free-flowing at or below 600C or when it is transported; or is generally not capable of being picked up by a spade or shovel. 4.8.6. Hazardous and Restricted Solid Wastes Hazardous and Restricted solid wastes generally have specialised definitions within the 2008 Regulation. In general, these are wastes that are: classified substances within the meaning of the Transport of Dangerous Goods Code; Phil Hawley & Associates 08/012 Page 25 of 61 LEMP V1.0 Goulburn Mulwaree Council Marulan Waste Management Centre Environmental Management Plan containers that have previously contained substances within the meaning of the Transport of Dangerous Goods Code; wastes with a pH less than or equal to 2.0 or greater than or equal to 12.5 coal tar or coal tar pitch waste; Lead-acid or nickel-cadmium batteries (being waste generated or separately collected by activities carried out for business, commercial or community services purposes); lead paint waste arising other than from residential premises or educational or childcare institutions; any other waste that is gazetted by the EPA as hazardous waste; anything that is restricted solid waste within the meaning of the Waste Classification Guidelines (there are currently no wastes classified as restricted solid waste) 4.9. Waste Deposition 4.9.1. General Wastes Waste shall be placed into the designated working area adjacent to the most recently placed waste. Filling shall work toward the outer edge of the landfill and way from completed areas. The edge of any area being filled shall be battered to the existing level of any adjacent areas and covered with a temporary capping layer as described in Section 4.10.2 The total length of any active face shall not exceed 30m. All wastes shall be deposited, spread and compacted in layers within the defined disposal areas or cells. Each layer shall have a maximum compacted depth of 600mm. The waste shall be placed and compacted to achieve an effective density of at least 600 kg per waste per cubic metre of landfill air space (or 1.67m3 of landfill space per tonne of waste). The compactor shall make three to five passes over the waste and shall not operate on slopes exceeding 25% (1:4) due to reduced compaction and operational safety considerations. At the end of every working day the deposited waste shall be covered with a minimum of 150mm of approved cover material to eliminate wind borne litter, control odours, discourage scavenging by fauna and prevent access to the waste material by disease vectors. Every layer of waste deposited in the landfill shall be evenly and properly compacted by a steel wheeled landfill compactor to achieve the effective waste density. Large bulky wastes such as white goods, furniture and tree trunks shall be preferably removed from the waste for recovery or as a last resort broken up before covering. Under no circumstances shall such bulky wastes be deposited in the in the final layer of the waste since settlement of the fill may result in these large items piercing the landfill cap. Phil Hawley & Associates 08/012 Page 26 of 61 LEMP V1.0 Goulburn Mulwaree Council Marulan Waste Management Centre Environmental Management Plan All weather access from the sealed access road to the active tipping face must be provided and maintained within the waste disposal cell for all user vehicles. 4.9.2. Special Wastes No special wastes shall be disposed at the MWMC. In the event that special wastes are located at the facility they must be handled and ultimately disposed in accordance with OH&S and DECC requirements and directions. Typically, this will involve transporting off site for specialised treatment in a licensed facility but may in exceptional circumstances also involve supervised burial away from the active tipping face and immediate covering with approved cover material to the required depth. 4.9.2.1. Asbestos Although the MWMC doesn’t accept asbestos wastes, it is inevitable that from time to time asbestos containing materials will be discovered in waste being landfilled. In accordance with Clause 42 of the 2008 Regulation, the following requirements with respect to asbestos wastes received at the MWMC must be adhered to: • when asbestos waste is delivered to the site, the attendant must be advised that the waste contains asbestos; unloading and disposal must be carried out in such a manner as to prevent the generation of dust or the stirring up of dust; asbestos waste must be disposed of only by burial; it must initially be immediately covered to a depth of at least 0.15m; at the end of each day’s operation the asbestos must be covered to a depth of at least 0.5m; it must eventually be covered to a depth of at least 1m (in the case of bonded asbestos waste or asbestos-contaminated soils) or 3m (in the case of friable asbestos material) beneath the final surface of the landfill; and, the asbestos waste must not be re-used or recycled. • • • • • • If asbestos is observed as it is unloaded then the site attendant may direct that the material be safely loaded back on to the vehicle for transport to the Goulburn Waste Management Centre of other suitable facility. The site operator and GMSC shall identify an area of the MWMC site that has been previously filled with waste and excavate a trench large enough to handle the quantities of asbestos waste received for a period of at least 4 years. Suggested dimensions are approximately 10m square and with a minimum depth of 2m. The trench shall be lined with clay or a layer or 200mm Virgin Excavated Natural Material (VENM) to separate the trench from the landfilled waste and fenced to exclude access by the public and signposted. It should be noted that this trench can be expected to fill with water after extended rain and is not to be pumped out. Phil Hawley & Associates 08/012 Page 27 of 61 LEMP V1.0 Goulburn Mulwaree Council Marulan Waste Management Centre Environmental Management Plan 4.9.2.2. Other Special Wastes Other special wastes, such as liquid or clinical wastes or tyres will not be accepted at the MWMC. 4.10. Covering Layers 4.10.1. Daily Cover At the end of each working day, all exposed waste surfaces shall be completely covered with a layer of compacted soil or other suitable inert material not less than 150mm in depth. The daily cover material shall be graded at a slope of not less than 1% (1:100) to prevent ponding of water. It is permissible to push this daily cover material off the waste at the commencement of daily operations in order to facilitate the placement of the day’s waste and as much as possible to reuse this cover material at the end of that day, provided that waste material is not visible at the surface of the cover material once it has been placed. Waste may be covered before the end of the working day if required to manage environmental conditions such as particularly odorous wastes or windy weather. The material to be sourced for daily cover material shall be sourced from off site, from incoming inert waste material or won from borrow on the site. Only inert, noncombustible material may be used. Council shall ensure that at all times there is sufficient cover material available on site to meet the immediate needs for the daily covering of deposited wastes. The rate of importation of cover material shall at all times exceed the total requirements for development and operation within the MWMC. Silt fences and other approved sediment and erosion control devices shall be provided around the stockpiles as required. In addition, cover material required for daily covering shall be stockpiled at a point convenient to the active waste disposal area. The stockpile shall be maintained to provide at least two (2) weeks supply of cover material. Intermediate Cover 4.10.2. Any area that has been filled but which has not reached the final landform level and which is unlikely to be worked again within a period of at least three (3) months, shall have an intermediate covering layer applied. The intermediate covering layer shall consist of a layer of 300mm of compacted daily cover material over the top of the original daily cover (i.e. a total minimum compacted thickness of 450mm). The area shall be graded at a minimum of 1% slope to promote runoff and shall be seeded with a suitable grass seed/fertiliser mixture as soon as practical after application of the intermediate cover. The top 300mm of the intermediate cover may be reclaimed prior to placing additional waste over the area. Phil Hawley & Associates 08/012 Page 28 of 61 LEMP V1.0 Goulburn Mulwaree Council Marulan Waste Management Centre Environmental Management Plan 4.10.3. Filled Areas The existing area of the MWMC that is already filled but not yet up to the final finished landform levels shall also be trimmed and covered as in Section 4.10.2 above, including the application of grass seed/fertiliser mixture. No waste should be visible through the intermediate covering layer. Final Cover 4.10.4. The final covering layer shall be progressively constructed as soon as practical after reaching the final landform levels. Notwithstanding this, the construction of the final covering layer shall commence within one (1) month of completion of waste deposition in any part of the MWMC, weather permitting. It shall be completed within three (3) months of the date of commencement. Figure 4 and Figure 5 show alternative profiles for the final covering layers. Given the relatively small quantities of waste within the landfill and the cost structure for this facility, a clay barrier is likely the more economic solution. Soil Drainage Layer 300 500 Clay Seal Final Daily Cover * Waste Figure 4: Clay Barrier Profile 4.11. Site Supervision and Control The MWMC shall be supervised at all times when open for the receival of wastes and securely locked at all other times to prevent unauthorised access. The centre shall be operated to ensure that the following tasks are adequately undertaken: • overall supervision of the MWMC operations shall be undertaken by a person experienced in the operation of a sanitary landfill; supervision of the active tipping face of the waste disposal areas and the recycling drop-off areas; Page 29 of 61 LEMP V1.0 • Phil Hawley & Associates 08/012 300 1600 500 Goulburn Mulwaree Council Marulan Waste Management Centre Environmental Management Plan • daily spreading, compaction and covering of the deposited waste using a specialised landfill compactor; recording of incoming vehicles including estimating waste quantity, type, and source where relevant; and, recording of outgoing loaded vehicles including estimated quantity of recovered materials/recyclables, type, and destination where relevant. • • Soil Bentofix Final Daily Cover * Waste Figure 5: Synthetic Barrier Profile * note that this is a lesser dimension than described in Section 4.10.1 GMSC shall ensure effective control of traffic within the MWMC and in particular at the active tipping face of the waste disposal area. It shall also ensure that the equipment engaged in the movement, spreading, compaction and covering of the deposited waste in the vicinity of the active tipping face is not operated in such a way as to constitute a risk to persons disposing of waste or the delivering of the waste. GMSC shall supply and erect barricades and/or signs in order that the above requirements are maintained at all times. An operator’s log book shall be kept for recording activities and incidents that occur during the operation of the MWMC. The information to be recorded is described elsewhere in this document. The log book shall be made available to senior council staff or any authorised officer of a government agency on demand. Under no circumstances is any burning of any waste to take place at the MWMC. Phil Hawley & Associates 08/012 300 50 900 Page 30 of 61 LEMP V1.0 Drainage Layer (Geosynthetic) 50 500 Goulburn Mulwaree Council Marulan Waste Management Centre Environmental Management Plan 4.12. Staffing Council shall ensure that the MWMC is staffed by appropriately experienced and qualified personnel. The present small scale of operations is such that it is not possible to justify more than one staff member working on the site at any time during normal operations. As waste quantities increase with additional development, GMSC shall keep the level of staffing under review and introduce a second staff member when warranted. It is expected that the staff member on the site will spend the majority of their time in the gatehouse or the recycling drop-off area, but will have to also spend time placing, compacting and covering waste, particularly toward the end of each day. Safe working procedures shall be developed and maintained to ensure the health and safety of the single staff member on site. At a minimum, staff working at the MWMC shall have received adequate training to demonstrate competency in: • for those involved in site operations, operation of compaction or earthworks equipment and knowledge of safe working procedures; for those that operate gas testing, water sampling or water testing apparatus are to be familiar with required testing and sample retention protocols to a standard approved by the DECC; for those that are to inspect incoming wastes, the ability to identify wastes that are unacceptable and accurate data recording. • • 4.13. Hours of Operation The current hours of operation of the MWMC are 8:00 am to 4:45 pm Friday to Monday. The centre is closed at 4:45 pm to allow the operator sufficient time to completely compact and cover the waste prior to finishing his shift at 5:00 pm. If, with the increased cover requirements contained within this document, the operator finds that there is insufficient time at the end of the shift to adequately compact and cover the waste, then GWMSC shall give consideration to excluding public access to the WMWC at an earlier time each afternoon. In the event of unforseen public emergencies that require the need for immediate disposal of wastes, the WMWC may be opened to allow for the disposal of these wastes. All access to the WMWC outside the above specified operating hours is subject to the approval of the Council and under no circumstance shall commercial operators be given a key to access the facility outside the hours when it is manned by GMSC supervisory staff. GMSC shall record all variations in the hours of operation of the MWMC in the operator’s daily log book. Phil Hawley & Associates 08/012 Page 31 of 61 LEMP V1.0 Goulburn Mulwaree Council Marulan Waste Management Centre Environmental Management Plan 4.14. Equipment GMSC shall maintain and/or engage sufficient and appropriate machinery, plant and equipment to meet the requirements of this LEMP. At the current time, the machinery on site is an articulated 15 tonne wheeled landfill compactor (Caterpillar 936). The machine has a 4-in-1 bucket fitted for carrying materials and pushing cover material. The machinery on the site will be required to: • • • • • • win and/or retrieve cover material; spread, compact and cover deposited waste; compact, trim, shape, grade and level covering layers; carry out dust suppression: provide fire control and fire fighting; and, any other activity required for the proper and efficient operation of the MWMC. Additional plant and equipment shall be provided as required to allow construction of new waste disposal areas, final shaping and covering and other activities so as to not cause adverse impact on the waste disposal operation in regard to meeting the requirements of this LEMP. Notwithstanding the above, the minimum plant requirement at the WMWC at all times shall be: • a landfill compactor for spreading, compacting and covering of deposited wastes; and, access to a water cart on short notice for dust suppression and fire fighting. • It was noted during a site inspection in early 2008 that the blades on the compactor wheels are wearing down and that the wheels were also clogged with clay. When renewing the wheels, Council should investigate whether it is possible to fit scraper bars to the machine to clean the wheels and keep the compactive ability of the machine to the maximum practicable. All plant and equipment shall conform to the relevant Australian standards and the requirements of the NSW Occupational Health and Safety Act 2000 (OHS Act). All machinery, plant and equipment shall be maintained in proper working order and in accordance with the manufacturer’s requirements. In the event of equipment or plant failure GMSC shall either arrange for replacement plant or equipment as soon as practicable to ensure that this LEMP is complied with at all times, or alternatively shall close the WMWC until such time as suitable arrangements can be made to supply the necessary plant or equipment. 4.15. Security The MWMC shall be fenced on all sides with a man-proof fence. Outside opening hours all access gates shall be locked. Phil Hawley & Associates 08/012 Page 32 of 61 LEMP V1.0 Goulburn Mulwaree Council Marulan Waste Management Centre Environmental Management Plan 4.16. Occupational Health and Safety Procedures GMSC shall take all necessary precautions to ensure the safety of all personnel engaged at the MWMC and all members of the public visiting the site. Council shall also be responsible for ensuring that all employees are advised concerning any potential hazards at the site, hazard avoidance and mitigation measures and that safe working practices are observed. In particular, GMSC shall be cognisant of the risks involved in having only a single employee working alone whilst both handling cash and operating plant on the site and shall develop and implement adequate safe working procedures to ensure the health and safety of that employee. GMSC shall provide, equip and maintain an adequate first aid kit at the site and shall ensure that the employee assigned to the site is adequately trained in its use. Council shall also ensure that there are adequate communications established on the site to enable this employee to summon assistance if it is required. It is the GMSC’s responsibility to be familiar with the requirements of the NSW OHS Act and the associated Regulations. The duties and all other obligations that the Act places on an employer shall be properly discharged by GMSC. All necessary hazard assessments shall be completed, risk controls implemented and they shall be documented. All necessary protective clothing or other safety equipment shall also be available and/or issued by GMSC to its employees on the site, maintained in good order and used as necessary. 4.17. Wet Weather Operation GMSC shall ensure that the MWMC is capable of safely accepting permitted wastes under all weather conditions without compromising its environmental performance. In the event that severe weather prevents access to and/or operation of the waste disposal area then GMSC shall provide an alternative temporary waste disposal mechanism. This may include direct haulage of wastes to another facility e.g. Goulburn. 4.18. Access Road Maintenance Temporary internal access roads shall be constructed so as to provide access to the waste disposal area and recovered/recyclable materials stockpiles. Materials suitable for the construction of such roads include building and demolition rubble, which shall be stockpiled for use when required. Access roads shall be sufficiently wide to safely permit two-way traffic by all vehicles using the MWMC or arranged to permit a oneway traffic flow. The use of steel wheel compactors and other heavy earth moving machinery on site access roads shall be minimised as much as possible so as to prevent damage to the road surface. 4.19. Fire Control GMSC shall in all respects comply with the requirements of the POEO Act. No waste shall be burnt at the MWMC and no fires shall be deliberately lit without the specific permission of the DECC. Phil Hawley & Associates 08/012 Page 33 of 61 LEMP V1.0 Goulburn Mulwaree Council Marulan Waste Management Centre Environmental Management Plan Incoming wastes that are found on inspection to be hot or on fire prior to deposition shall be directed away from the active landfilling are to a location where the material can be extinguished without risk of causing a fire on site. In the event of a fire occurring at the site prompt action shall be taken to extinguish the fire. The Marulan Rural Fire Brigade shall be immediately notified of all fires irrespective of the extent of the fire and whether or not is has been controlled (phone 4841 1555 or for emergencies 000 or 112 from a mobile phone). All fire events shall be recorded in detail including the date, time, location, the expected cause of the fire, when it was extinguished, who was notified and whether any future preventative measures are appropriate and have been taken. In the event of a surface fire occurring at the site, water and or earth shall be used as appropriate to extinguish the fire. In the event of an underground fire occurring, the effected area shall be excavated and then water and or earth shall be used as appropriate to extinguish the fire. However, in no circumstances is the operator on the site to attempt to excavate and extinguish an underground fire without first giving notification of the fire and assistance being provided. Full co-operation shall be given with the Rural Fire Brigade in fighting any fires on the site. Access roads to the stormwater ponds shall be not less than 3m wide and cleared of all flammable material. These access roads shall be maintained to allow access for fire fighting vehicles in accordance with the requirements of the Rural Fire Brigade. The access roads shall also be graded such that runoff is not able to leave the site and is diverted to one of the two perimeter dams on the site. It is noted that the land surrounding the MWMC is currently cleared and accessible. On this basis it is not considered necessary to provide a perimeter fire break or access road. All employees shall receive fire protection/fighting training and training in emergency procedures, including for plant operators the use of breathing apparatus. Assistance in training shall be sought from the Fire Protection section of the NSW Fire Brigade or the NSW Rural Fire Service. It is not expected that a water tanker be kept on the site for fire fighting purposes but ready access should be available to such a vehicle at all times. GMSC shall develop a fire management plan and shall regularly review this plan with staff, ensure that their training is up to date and that every employee is conscious of the fire safety standard required and the continued need to operate safely. The fire management plan shall detail at least the following: Phil Hawley & Associates 08/012 Page 34 of 61 LEMP V1.0 Goulburn Mulwaree Council Marulan Waste Management Centre Environmental Management Plan • hazard assessment for fire fighting, the procedure to follow, persons responsible and equipment to be used in the event of a fire; a current contact list of appropriate personnel and their contact numbers in the event of a fire. The list is to be reviewed at least every three months and maintained up to date; a maintenance schedule for all fire fighting equipment and facilities. This will, at a minimum, include all equipment and facilities being checked for damage on a weekly basis and test operated at least every three months; how all fire fighting equipment will be clearly signposted and access ensured at all times; how appropriate site access is to be constructed and maintained; and, staff training and techniques. • • • • • 4.20. Record Keeping All vehicles entering the MWMC shall be recorded and the tonnage of waste carried estimated using the truck factors as defined in the DECC Guidelines (see Appendix 2 – Weight Factors by Vehicle and Waste Type). All data collected on the amount, type and source of waste may be reported to the DECC on an annual basis or more frequently in the event that the facility becomes the subject of a licence. The format of the data shall be as required by the DECC. A registered surveyor shall be engaged to undertake a survey of the site every two (2) years (or annually in the event that the facility becomes licensed) to confirm the volume of landfill space consumed during the intervening period. The results of the survey shall be forwarded to the DECC if so requested by the DECC and shall also be reconciled with the waste acceptance reports to determine the compaction density being achieved. Controls shall be established to prevent vehicles entering the MWMC without being recorded. The operator at the MWMF shall keep a log book in which shall be recorded any complaints and what was done in response to those complaints. Similarly, any environmental incidents that cause a potential or actual threat to the environment shall also be recorded, along with the actions taken as per Section 9.1 of the LEMP. Phil Hawley & Associates 08/012 Page 35 of 61 LEMP V1.0 Goulburn Mulwaree Council Marulan Waste Management Centre Environmental Management Plan 5. Environmental Requirements 5.1. Water 5.1.1. Surface Water There are very limited stormwater controls currently in place other than for water that is collected in the old quarry (and which is classified as leachate). An access track is to be built around the wester perimeter of the landfill and the eastern perimeter between the access road and the stormwater storage ponds, and leachate/stormwater ponds are to be built at the low points on both the eastern and western sides of the site. The access track shall have its cross-fall back in towards the landfill and be graded to ensure that any stormwater discharging from the landfill area is collected on the firebreak and conveyed to one of these ponds. A perimeter catch drain shall also be constructed as shown on the drawings to drain the remaining areas of the landfill to the stormwater ponds. All stormwater drainage works shall be maintained in proper functioning order so as to prevent discharge of untreated stormwater to the environment. Maintenance shall include, but is not limited to: • regular cleaning of drains/pipes/pits/ponds and removal of accumulated sediments; regular trimming of overgrown vegetation; installation and regular inspection of temporary silt fencing or other devices to prevent scouring and sediment runoff; and, stabilisation of eroded drains. • • • Temporary stormwater drains shall be designed, constructed and maintained as required to prevent stormwater runoff from entering the active waste disposal area. All temporary drains shall generally be earthen drains constructed at grades no steeper than 1% to minimise scouring. Where steeper grades are required that result in flow velocities that may cause scour, the drains shall be lined with appropriate scour protection e.g. jute mesh, rock facing, concrete etc. Notwithstanding this, all earthen drains shall be grassed to minimise erosion. All stormwater drains shall be sized to carry runoff generated during the 10% AEP (1:10-year recurrence interval) storm event. The leachate and stormwater ponds shall be capable of storing the 4% AEP (1:25-year recurrence interval) 1-day storm. All temporary stormwater drainage works shall discharge into the permanent stormwater drainage system, which flow to the leachate/stormwater dams. Phil Hawley & Associates 08/012 Page 36 of 61 LEMP V1.0 Goulburn Mulwaree Council Marulan Waste Management Centre Environmental Management Plan GMSC is responsible to maintain the leachate ponds in proper and effective working order. Such maintenance includes, but is not limited to: • maintaining the storage volume of the ponds by periodic cleaning and removal of accumulated sediment and excess vegetation growth; maintaining the outlets free of debris, sediment and excess biological vegetation growth; and, maintaining the integrity of the ponds embankments. • • In designing, constructing and maintaining the stormwater drainage works the GMSC shall comply with all requirements of the EPA. 5.1.2. Groundwater Water, including surface runoff that has come into contact with waste is classified as leachate. The MWMC is not a lined landfill and the impermeability of the substrate on which it is located is not known. It is therefore conceivable that leachate has infiltrated the groundwater underlying the facility. This is made more likely by the site being located on top of a rise which suggests that the level of the leachate within the landfill mass would be higher than the surrounding groundwater and therefore tend to migrate into the groundwater under hydraulic pressure. There is no indication from the borehole tests to confirm that this is the case. Because of the relatively small quantities of waste received at the MWMF and the limited water management controls it is probable that the leachate is highly diluted and this is borne out from the testing conducted from the boreholes and the nearby dams located downstream of the facility. Conversely, there would be more leachate being generated than should ordinarily be expected due to the ready ingress of moisture into the landfill mass. There are no current indications of the groundwater being contaminated by leachate. However, the recommendations of this LEMP must be implemented and rigorously maintained to minimise the potential for future leachate contamination of the groundwater. At least one of the three monitoring boreholes on the site is in danger of being covered as the landfill progresses. Anecdotally, another has already been lost (this borehole has been located adjacent to the access road and it has been capped some time ago). These boreholes shall be progressively raised as required so that the cap is at all times above the level of the working and finished areas. The same borehole in danger of being covered will be located close to the future transfer station manoeuvring area. It should similarly be protected when the transfer station is constructed. 5.1.3. Leachate All measures practicable shall be taken to minimise the volume and improve the quality of leachate generated by: Phil Hawley & Associates 08/012 Page 37 of 61 LEMP V1.0 Goulburn Mulwaree Council Marulan Waste Management Centre Environmental Management Plan • minimising the infiltration of surface water into the landfilled waste by providing the specified cover layers and grading them to promote runoff; minimising the contamination of surface water runoff by undertaking proper covering of the deposited waste, by grading filled areas to direct surface water runoff away from the active waste disposal area and by minimising exposed areas at the MWMF; and, progressive rehabilitation of the site, including revegetation. • • Leachate management at the site MWMF shall comprise: • • collection of all leachate contaminated surface water via catch drains; and, disposal of all collected leachate on site by spray irrigation over inactive landfilled areas. This activity is designed to promote the disposal or leachate through evaporation and recirculation through the landfill mass. A perimeter access road or catch drains to be built around the western and southern sides of the landfill and drained as described in Sections 4.7.4, 4.19 and 5.1.1. GMSC shall ensure that all surface generated leachate is collected and discharged to the leachate management system. Temporary earth catch drains shall be constructed as required to collect surface occurring leachate. The temporary earth drains shall be constructed in accordance with the requirements of the Department of Housing’s publication Managing Urban Stormwater: Soils and Construction 2004 and the EPA. The leachate drainage system shall be maintained in an operable and effective condition at all times. Care shall be taken to ensure that leachate drainage paths or other infrastructure is not damaged by waste disposal or other operational activities. GMSC shall undertake periodic inspection and maintenance of the leachate catch drains, to ensure the collection system remains effective in collection and draining leachate from the landfilled waste. All collected leachate shall be stored on site in the leachate dams. The dam on the eastern side of the landfill (Pond #2) will remain in the long term as a leachate dam but the dam to be constructed on the western side (Pond #1) is expected to revert to a stormwater storage dam at some time in the future. Until such time as water testing over a period of 6 months confirms no contamination within this dam with leachate, its contents shall be considered to be leachate and disposed accordingly i.e. by spray irrigation over the inactive landfilled areas. The leachate dams shall be maintained to ensure no leakage of impounded leachate through the bed or banks of the dams. They shall be operated in such a way as to maintain an adequate freeboard depth to prevent overflow from them during wet weather. Phil Hawley & Associates 08/012 Page 38 of 61 LEMP V1.0 Goulburn Mulwaree Council Marulan Waste Management Centre Environmental Management Plan 5.2. Atmospheric 5.2.1. Landfill Gas It is not anticipated that a landfill gas monitoring and collection programme will be required due to the relatively small nature of the facility and the minimal quantities of gas that will be generated. However, as a safety precaution, 6-monthly methane monitoring should be undertaken within any building located within 250m of deposited waste. Should this monitoring show the presence of methane concentrations >3% on a routine basis then the need for either methane drainage under the buildings or gas extraction shall be reviewed. 5.2.2. Odour The MWMF shall be operated to minimise the generation and impacts of odours arising from the waste disposal operations on properties in the surrounding area. All practicable measures shall be taken to contain any odours within the boundaries of the site. Odours can be significantly reduced by operating the site in accordance with sanitary landfilling methods and good site management. Odours shall be minimised by: • generally filling from the high end of the active tipping area towards the lower end, ensuring minimal surface water runoff becomes entrapped in the waste during filling operations; not depositing waste in standing water; depositing waste in thin layers to optimise compaction; covering all exposed waste at the end of each working day with a least 150mm of daily cover material; the use of deodorising sprays when required; minimising disturbance of previously filled areas; and. keeping a record of complaints regarding odours in the daily log book. • • • • • • 5.2.3. Litter All practicable measures shall be taken to confine litter arising from the operation of the MWMF within the boundaries of the site. If required moveable litter screens shall be used to at the active waste disposal area to control windblown waste. Regular litter patrols shall be undertaken along the boundaries of the MWMF and the road leading to the facility. In the event of windblown litter being discharged from the Phil Hawley & Associates 08/012 Page 39 of 61 LEMP V1.0 Goulburn Mulwaree Council Marulan Waste Management Centre Environmental Management Plan site, GMSC shall as soon as practicable and in any case not less than 24 hours after the event, collect and dispose of the litter. All litter screens, litter fencing and all other site fencing shall be cleared of litter on a weekly basis. GMSC shall require all loads entering the MWMF to be covered. GMSC shall enforce the covering of loads to prevent litter generation. 5.2.4. Dust All practicable measures shall be taken to minimise dust emissions arising from operations at the MWMF. These include: • minimising vehicle access to the landfill face by directing all small vehicles to the designated tipping area; immediate burial and covering of dusty loads; and, use of a water cart as required. • • An operational water cart shall at all times be available for use at the MWMF at short notice, but does not have to be kept on the site except during times when dust emissions can be expected. 5.2.5. Noise All practicable measures shall be taken by GMSC to minimise noise emissions arising from operations at the MWMF. It is GMSC’s responsibility to ensure that the operational noise levels at any residence outside the boundary of the facility do not exceed the permitted levels as specified in the POEO Act and associated Regulations. The impact of noise arising from the landfill operations on all surrounding areas shall be minimised by implementing the following measures: • • maintaining all landfill plant and machinery in proper working order; and, all vehicles accessing the site are to be restricted to the designated access roadways; 5.3. Other 5.3.1. Vermin GMSC may seek to implement a vermin control programme during operation of the MWMF if required. Vermin include insects, rodents, foxes, birds, feral cats and other pests. The vermin control programme may include: • • the use of insecticides and pesticides; trapping and baiting; and, Page 40 of 61 LEMP V1.0 Phil Hawley & Associates 08/012 Goulburn Mulwaree Council Marulan Waste Management Centre Environmental Management Plan • the use of scarecrows and bird scares. The use of any traps that injure animals will not be allowed. Trapped animals are to be taken to the GMSC animal shelter or a vetinary facility for humane disposal. The use of such a control programme shall be minimised by utilising effective sanitary landfilling methods including good compaction and covering of deposited waste, including compaction of the covering layers. Care shall be taken to ensure that pesticides do not enter stormwater or leachate or pose an airborne pollution hazard or nuisance. GMSC shall ensure that all ponds on the site are kept free of mosquito breeding larvae and that water does not pond in any other location that may allow mosquito breeding. 5.3.2. Vehicle Cleaning Shaker grids or course stone beds for cleaning the wheels and undersides of vehicles leaving the site shall be provided. This is to minimise the potential impact on local amenity and stormwater runoff that could occur by vehicles carrying mud and litter off the site. Signs shall be displayed advising users of the MWMF that it is their responsibility to ensure that remnants of their loads or materials stuck to the underside of their vehicle does not litter public roads. 5.3.3. Noxious Weed Control Programme Noxious weed that occur on the site shall be controlled by a programme of spraying with herbicides to ensure their control and prevent their spread to adjoining property. The requirements of any spraying programme are to be determined by Council’s Noxious Weed Officer. However, as a minimum the Officer shall visit the centre at least once every 3 months to assess any problems with noxious weeds and to carry out any required spraying. Phil Hawley & Associates 08/012 Page 41 of 61 LEMP V1.0 Goulburn Mulwaree Council Marulan Waste Management Centre Environmental Management Plan 6. Environmental Monitoring 6.1. General GMSC shall undertake regular monitoring of ground water, surface water and leachate to ensure that the operation of the MWMF is not causing a detrimental environmental impact. In addition, every 12 months the operation of the MWMF shall be reviewed to assess the operation of the facility with this LEMP. All analyses of samples shall be performed by a laboratory accredited by the National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA) to undertake the analyses specified. Minimum field quality control shall comprise: • testing of field blanks. These must represent 5% or at least one blank where less than 20 samples are analysed in a batch. A documented investigation report is required if the blanks exceed the required detection limits; testing of field spikes. These must represent 5% or at least one spike where less than 20 samples are analysed in a batch. A documented investigation report is required if spike recovery is outside the 80% to 120% range; and, testing of duplicated field samples. These must represent 5% or at least one duplicate where less than 20 samples are analysed in a batch. A documented investigation report is required if the variation between duplicates exceeds 20% difference. • • Sampling shall be carried out in accordance with EPA acceptable procedures, as described in the Guidelines. Copies of sample results and analysis shall be made available to the EPA or the SCA on request. 6.2. Leachate and Stormwater The objective of leachate and stormwater monitoring is to identify and characterise the quality of the surface water generated on-site and assess any impacts of the discharge of the surface water. Surface waters shall be monitored at the overflows of the 2 dams to be constructed on the site and potentially also in the 2 farm dams located to the east of the MWMF. GMSC shall monitor the quality of surface water discharged from the site every three (3) months, or more regularly at Council’s discretion. If at all possible, sampling shall take place during or immediately after wet weather. If no discharge occurs from the site, or if it was not possible to sample a discharge event in any three month period, then the samples shall be taken from the leachate dams. Phil Hawley & Associates 08/012 Page 42 of 61 LEMP V1.0 Goulburn Mulwaree Council Marulan Waste Management Centre Environmental Management Plan The samples of surface water shall be analysed for the parameters shown in Table 4 below. Field Measurements Electrical conductivity Dissolved oxygen pH Temperature Laboratory Analysis Alkalinity (as calcium carbonate) Ammonia - nitrogen Biological oxygen demand (BOD) Calcium Chloride Filterable iron Fluoride Magnesium Manganese Nitrate Potassium** Sodium** Sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) Sulfate** Total organic carbon Total phenolics Total suspended solids (mg/L) (mg/L) (mg/L) (mg/L) Units used in Analysis (µS/cm) (mg/L) (pH units) (°C) Units used in Analysis (mg/L) (mg/L) (mg/L) (mg/L) (mg/L) (mg/L) (mg/L) (mg/L) (mg/L) (mg/L) (mg/L) (mg/L) Limits for Irrigation* 800 between 6.5 to 8.5 Limits for Irrigation 40 kg/ha/day see SAR 0.5 1 1 see SAR 0.2 10 see SAR 6 - * These limits have been sourced from Environment ACT’s Environmental Protection Policy: ACT Wastewater Reuse for Irrigation, 1999. Limit units are the same as those used in analysis except for BOD. Table 4: Water Monitoring Parameters In addition, samples shall be taken from the leachate dam(s) at least every three (3) months to: • characterise the leachate being generated by the landfilled waste in terms of quality and quantity; and, verify the leachate quality against the limits in Table 4 to determine its suitability for irrigation onto completed areas of the landfill. • In addition, should the testing of the discharge from the eastern stormwater storage pond (Pond #3) indicate the presence of leachate, the 2 farm dams located to the east of the MWMF shall also be tested and verified against the limits in Table 4. The volume of leachate generated will be determined by estimating the volume of leachate disposed via irrigation and the volume of dam overflow (if any). Phil Hawley & Associates 08/012 Page 43 of 61 LEMP V1.0 Goulburn Mulwaree Council Marulan Waste Management Centre Environmental Management Plan Additionally, to allow initial characterisation of the leachate the first four quarterly samples collected from the leachate dams will also be analysed for aromatics, volatiles, halocarbons and base, neutral and acid extractible organic contaminants. This shall include screening for monocyclic aromatics, halogenated hydrocarbons, phenols, organochlorinated pesticides (OCP’s), organophosphate, pesticides (OPP’s), PCB’s and PAH’s. Statistical analysis of results shall be used where appropriate to determine if there is any significant change in the indicator parameters. 6.3. Groundwater There are 3 groundwater monitoring bores located as shown on Figure 6 below. N = borehole locations Figure 6: Borehole Locations Additionally, there is a fourth bore located in the northern part of the site adjacent to the access road. It is understood that this bore was originally used for the extraction of groundwater. It has since been capped and is now inoperative. The objective of groundwater monitoring is to identify and characterise the impact of leachate on the ground water system. Phil Hawley & Associates 08/012 Page 44 of 61 LEMP V1.0 Goulburn Mulwaree Council Marulan Waste Management Centre Environmental Management Plan GMWS shall monitor the quality of ground water from all monitoring bores every three (3) months, or more regularly at the Council’s discretion. Monitoring shall comprise: • • the measurement of depth to the ground water table; and, analysis of groundwater for the same parameters as those for surface water (see Table 4). All analysis of results shall use statistical procedures where appropriate to determine if there has been in any change in the concentration of parameters. 6.4. Landfill Gas Landfill gas (methane) shall be monitored every six (6) months inside all buildings within 250m of deposited waste so as to assess any potential risks. Should 6-monthly monitoring over 2 consecutive periods not show any trace of landfill gas, then the frequency of testing may be extended to annual. 6.5. Complaints GMSC shall maintain a complaints register on site for recording the details of all complaints, including a description of the actions taken and the outcome of those actions. Phil Hawley & Associates 08/012 Page 45 of 61 LEMP V1.0 Goulburn Mulwaree Council Marulan Waste Management Centre Environmental Management Plan 7. Site Rehabilitation and Closure Plan 7.1. Future Landuse The site shall be established as a waste transfer station after the landfill is closed and rehabilitated. Those parts of the site not required for transfer station and associated purposes shall be revegetated with the objective of re-establishing them as native bushland. 7.2. Landscaping and Revegetation Upon completion of the final covering layer the landfilled area that is not required for the transfer station or associated purposes shall be landscaped and revegetated. Initially, while the landfill is still stabilising, shallow rooted, high transpiration rate grasses shall be planted on the landfilled areas. Trees and shrubs shall be planted around the boundary of the site. Once the site is stabilised more detailed landscaping and revegetation plans shall be prepared. 7.3. Capital Works Plan Capital works shall be progressively undertaken to satisfy the requirements as set out in this document and the drawings. The highest priority is to establish the leachate and stormwater ponds together with their associated catch drains and access tracks. Access roads shall be formed and maintained as previously described for the efficient all-weather operation of the MWMF. Those areas of the landfill that are not being actively filled shall be immediately shaped, covered and compacted to prevent the ingress of water, eliminate the possibility of windborne litter and ensure that vectors don’t have access to the deposited wastes. It is noted that there is currently no provision within GMSC’s Management Plan for any capital works at the MWMF. This should be redressed for the 2009/10 Management Plan and if necessary the fees and charges reviewed to ensure that sufficient restricted assets are created to provide the necessary capital funding. Council is also advised to consider the opportunity to revise its Section 94 Developer Contributions Plan to include the capital works required at the MWMF, particularly given the potential for development within the landfill catchment area. Capital works sequencing and preliminary budgets are contained within Appendix 5 – CAPITAL WORKS SEQUENCE AND ESTIMATES. 7.4. Transfer Station Phil Hawley & Associates 08/012 Page 46 of 61 LEMP V1.0 Goulburn Mulwaree Council Marulan Waste Management Centre Environmental Management Plan Drawing 2 includes a concept layout for the proposed transfer station. It is designed to be constructed either at the one time or in stages as demand dictates and can also accommodate small through to large (40m3) transfer bins. The layout includes space for storage and processing of bulk materials such as green and sorted C&D wastes, steel and other recyclable materials. There is also adequate space for manoeuvring transfer vehicles on the lower level. However, one of the piezometers is located close to this area and it will have to be adequately protected. A 3m high mound is to be constructed to shield the transfer station from the prevailing western quadrant winds. Figure 7shows a typical rural transfer station, similar to that proposed for the MWMC. Figure 7: Typical Rural Transfer Station The transfer station will be constructed during the last year of the working life of the landfill. It shall consist of a series of stepped bays in an arrangement similar to that shown in Figure 7 above. The transfer skips shall consist of hook-lift bins sized to suit the volumes being transferred. The current transport capacity available to GMSC is for bins up to 8m3 capacity. However, the expansion of the facility may require bins of capacity up to 20 m3 – 40 m3. Depending on the capability of the existing truck, these bins could potentially be transported on a purpose built dog trailer. The bins should be fitted with close fitting lids to ensure that litter is contained both during filling and transportation. The upper level of the transfer station can be covered if required in the future to make it weather proof. Phil Hawley & Associates 08/012 Page 47 of 61 LEMP V1.0 Goulburn Mulwaree Council Marulan Waste Management Centre Environmental Management Plan 8. Post-Closure Management 8.5. Environmental Management GMSC shall ensure that all leachate collection, stormwater controls and reporting practices are maintained at the same level employed during the operational life of the landfill. The environmental management measures shall continue until such time that Council can demonstrate that the MWMF does not pose a threat to the environment. Once landfilling operations at the MWMF cease, no waste materials are to be received for disposal at the site. The receipt of waste materials for transfer to another location or processing into other material forms on site (e.g. shredding greenwaste for mulches) will be acceptable so long as a transfer station remains operational on the site. Any waste materials that are intended for use in the rehabilitation of the facility must be documented and reported in the same fashion as for the operation of the facility. 8.6. Environmental Monitoring GMSC shall maintain the same monitoring programme as used throughout the operation of the site and as described in Section 6. Monitoring shall continue until such time as it can be demonstrated that the landfill no longer poses a threat to the environment. GMSC shall ensure that any neighbouring residents or businesses or those along the access to the site are advised of contact numbers to discuss any problems (e.g. odour emissions or litter). Any complaints that are received shall be recorded in the operator’s log book. 8.7. Maintenance Regular maintenance of the final landform, landscaping and transfer station shall be undertaken. This will comprise: • • filling of any cracks that may occur in the final cover layer; filling of depressions created by settlement of the landfilled waste (to ensure shedding of surface water runoff; replacement of any vegetation affected by landfill gas, if necessary, to maintain the integrity of the landfill cover; clearing silt and debris from drainage paths and storage ponds; repair of any erosion scars; and removing litter from the landfill site and surrounds. • • • • The above activities will continue until the landfill has been stabilised or the transfer station is no longer required. Phil Hawley & Associates 08/012 Page 48 of 61 LEMP V1.0 Goulburn Mulwaree Council Marulan Waste Management Centre Environmental Management Plan 9. Reporting 9.1. Incident Reporting Any incident that represents a threat to the environment or which may lead to a breach of any licence conditions imposed at some time in the future must be communicated to the EPA within six (6) of the incident being first discovered. Initial contact shall be via the 24 hour EPA Pollution Hotline (131 555). Written notice shall follow within seven (7) days. The occurrence of the incident that precipitated the report to the EPA shall be recorded in the operator’s daily log book, including the nature of the incident, the time of the phone report and any actions taken to minimise or contain the environmental threat. 9.2. Annual Reporting At the end of each financial year, a “Yearly Report for Non Licensed Landfill Sites” must be completed and lodged with the EPA. The report shall include: • • • • A summary of the total landfill capacity; the landfill void space consumed during the year an estimate of the remaining volume available for landfilling; a summary of the waste material composition by percentage of total volume; and, types and quantities of materials recycled, reprocessed or reused. • Phil Hawley & Associates 08/012 Page 49 of 61 LEMP V1.0 Goulburn Mulwaree Council Marulan Waste Management Centre Environmental Management Plan 10. Review 10.1. General At the time of preparing this LEMP the MWMF was not required to be licensed and the provision of a transfer station is not expected to be required for several years. Should waste quantities expand to the point where the facility must be licensed or when the transfer station is required, then this LEMP should be reviewed to take account of the revised situation. Phil Hawley & Associates 08/012 Page 50 of 61 LEMP V1.0 Goulburn Mulwaree Council Marulan Waste Management Centre Environmental Management Plan 11. Appendices Phil Hawley & Associates 08/012 Page 51 of 61 LEMP V1.0 Goulburn Mulwaree Council Marulan Waste Management Centre Environmental Management Plan Appendix 1 – SYDNEY CATCHMENT AUTHORITY REQUIREMENTS The following are the requirements received from the SCA. Phil Hawley & Associates 08/012 Page 52 of 61 LEMP V1.0 Goulburn Mulwaree Council Marulan Waste Management Centre Environmental Management Plan Appendix 2 – WEIGHT FACTORS BY VEHICLE AND WASTE TYPE (All Units in tonnes) Description Small Vehicle Vehicle Type A B Car / Station Wagon Van / Ute / Trailer Municipal, Commercial and Industrial Waste 0.62 Weight Factor All Mixed Waste 0.06 0.30 Construction and Demolition Waste 0.98 Virgin Excavated Natural Materials 2.47 Open Truck C Single rear axle with two rear wheels or four small rear wheels Single rear axle with four normal size wheels Tandem rear axle (bogie drive) Twin steer with twin rear axles Tipping semi-trailer D 1.16 3.74 5.57 5.79 2.76 7.14 7.61 15.00 5.58 10.97 10.97 15.00 E F G H I J K Enclosed Truck and Compactor Single steer with single rear axle Single steer with tandem rear axle Twin steer with tandem rear axle Waste transfer truck 2.72 6.38 7.96 19.89 Please note: If using the weight factors the numbers supplied are averages. If you wish to use this method then count the number of vehicles entering the facility and categorise them by vehicle type. Aggregate the number of vehicles for each waste stream and multiply by the weight factor to obtain the tonnage. Phil Hawley & Associates 08/012 Page 53 of 61 LEMP V1.0 Goulburn Mulwaree Council Marulan Waste Management Centre Environmental Management Plan Appendix 3 – GROUNDWATER BORE AND FARM DAM WATER QUALITY ANALYSIS APRIL & JULY 2008 April 2008 Test Results Phil Hawley & Associates 08/012 Page 54 of 61 LEMP V1.0 Goulburn Mulwaree Council Marulan Waste Management Centre Environmental Management Plan July 2008 Test Results Phil Hawley & Associates 08/012 Page 55 of 61 LEMP V1.0 Goulburn Mulwaree Council Marulan Waste Management Centre Environmental Management Plan Appendix 4 – DRAWINGS The following pages contain the contour survey, the finished contour survey and the filling sequence plan. Phil Hawley & Associates 08/012 Page 56 of 61 LEMP V1.0 Goulburn Mulwaree Council Marulan Waste Management Centre Environmental Management Plan Drawing 1: Contour Survey as at February 2008 Phil Hawley & Associates 08/012 Page 57 of 61 LEMP V1.0 Drawing 2: Design Surface Phil Hawley & Associates 08/012 Page 58 of 61 LEMP V1.0 Drawing 3: Filling Sequence Plan Phil Hawley & Associates 08/012 Page 59 of 61 LEMP V1.0 Appendix 4 – EXTRACT OF EMAIL FROM GMSC REGARDING DEVELOPMENT CONSENT FOR GRAVEL EXTRACTION Hi Phil I have discussed the matter with my Manager Chris Stewart and subject to the following three considerations Development Consent would not be required: That the extraction won’t compromise the environment controls on the site; That the activity is undertaken in accordance with current licensing agreement; and That no offensive noise is generated as a result. If you require any further information let me know. Regards Stephanie Mowle Senior Development Assessment Officer Goulburn Mulwaree Council Telephone: (02) 4823 4509 Fax: (02) 4822 7999 From: Phil Hawley [mailto:phil@philhawley.com.au] Sent: Friday, 26 September 2008 7:47 PM To: Stephanie Mowle Cc: Andrew Galland Subject: Winning Gravel; Marulan Landfill Hi Stephanie As discussed, I am looking at the possibility of winning gravel from the southern end of the Marulan landfill, and using the gravel as daily and intermediate cover. This will both maximise the life of the facility and also improve the environmental performance. Attached is a plan showing the final surface contours of the finished facility. The area where we want to win the gravel is generally shown in red (but not precisely). The extraction is to my way of thinking an activity ancillary to the operation of the landfill on the site, and is therefore an approved activity under the draft LEP. My question is whether the activity can proceed without first obtaining development consent. My understanding is that the gravel layer is about 1.5m thick (it goes deeper but would require ripping) and can be won using the equipment already on site. I am proposing to incorporate the use of the gravel into the Landfill Environmental Management Plan that I am currently preparing for Council. I would appreciate your considered response in due course. Regards, Phil Hawley Phil Hawley & Associates 08/012 Page 60 of 61 LEMP V1.0 Appendix 5 – CAPITAL WORKS SEQUENCE AND ESTIMATES This appendix contains a suggested sequence for undertaking the capital works required to meet the obligations contained in this LEMP, together with an estimate of cost for carrying out these works. The estimates are general in nature and suitable only for consideration as future projects in the Council’s management plan/forward capital works programme. They should not be relied upon as pre-construction estimates. Once concept designs are prepared then the capital works should be re-estimated. Note that activities such as winning gravel for cover material and construction of assess roads to the operating face are not included as these are considered operational expenditure as opposed to capital. PRELIMINARY ESTIMATED COST* $25,000 $30,000 $10,000 $700,000@ $165,000 PRIORITY 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. PROJECT Pond #1, including access track and catch drain Preparation of quarry floor and creation of leachate pond (Pond #2) Pond #3, including access track and catch drain Landfill closure and remediation Construction of Transfer Station, including construction and sealing of access road# * Estimates are preliminary only, subject to design and estimated in 2008 dollars # Based on utilising a reinforced concrete cast-in-situ retaining wall. Other and possibly cheaper forms of construction should be investigated Includes allowance for purchase and haulage of material @ Given the uncertainties surrounding the filling rates, it is not possible with any accuracy to predict the years in which capital expenditure will be required, except for Priority 1 which is needed immediately. Priority 2 will be required before further filling of the quarry can commence. Priority 3 should be completed as the landfill nears completion or as soon as funds permit. Priority 4 is to close and remediate the landfill. Priority 5 will be required before finalisation of the landfill closure. Phil Hawley & Associates 08/012 Page 61 of 61 LEMP V1.0