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EPA Delays Release of Revised Site Contamination Guidelines

Posted on September 02, 2014

The assessment and remediation of site contamination in South Australia is governed by the provisions of the Environment Protection Act and Regulations. The Environment Protection Authority (EPA) produces guidelines to assist site contamination auditors and consultants to understand and comply with the legislative requirements, and to provide the framework to enable the recommended process in the National Environment Protection (Assessment of Site Contamination) Measure (ASC NEPM) to be met.

On 16 May 2013 (subject to a twelve month transition period) the amendment to the ASC NEPM took effect. In support of the ASC NEPM, and to align EPA guidelines with the ASC NEPM amendment, in February 2014, the EPA released seven draft site contamination publications for stakeholder consultation (one new guideline and six revised guidelines).

Consultation on the draft guidelines concluded on 21 March 2014 and the EPA was to release revised drafts for further stakeholder consultation in June/July 2014. The EPA has now advised that revised drafts of the following guidelines will not be released until early 2015:

  • Guideline for the assessment and remediation of site contamination (GAR). This is a new guideline which proposes to supersede and replace seven current guidelines dealing with:
    • What is site contamination;
    • Determination of background concentrations;
    • How to determine actual or potential harm to water that is not trivial resulting from site contamination;
    • Guidelines for the assessment and remediation of groundwater;
    • Environmental management of onsite remediation;
    • Soil bioremediation;
    • Responsibility for assessment and remediation of site contamination; and
    • Site contamination: honesty in reporting.
  • Guidelines for the site contamination audit system. This is a revision of the 2009 (update 2010) guideline dealing with feedback on the operation of the audit system and additional processes developed by the EPA. The Guidelines will be supported by a number of information sheets on the system.
  • Notification of site contamination that affects or threatens underground water. This is a revision of the guideline on Section 83A obligations under the Act to deal with what the EPA calls ‘administering and regulating notifications and results of investigations into potential failures to notify’.

There will be a three week consultation period once the revised drafts have been released.

The EPA has indicated it will undertake a review and update of other site contamination guidance later this year including on:

  • Site contamination: transfer of liability;
  • Site contamination: information for licenses; and
  • Site Contamination: acid sulphate soil materials

The existing guideline documents remain current until the completion of the review process and final publication by the EPA.

Stay tuned for more on the revised draft guidelines in early 2015.

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