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

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

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

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

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

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

Point Cook Contamination

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

Mustard Agent Cleanup Columboola Qld

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

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

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

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

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

How Does Defence Manage Its Contamination

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

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

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

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

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

Questions / discussion