Environmental Performance
Latrobe City Council operates the Hyland Highway landfill under an EPA Victoria license that requires environmental monitoring and performance reporting. EPA Victoria requires Latrobe City to report any non compliance with license conditions and to submit an annual performance statement. EPA Victoria conduct compliance audits on licensed facilities. EPA Victoria has conducted one routine compliance audit assesment since the landfill commenced operations.
EPA Licence Compliance Assesment (pdf version, 39kb)
As a condition of the landfill EPA licence (G3) council must by the 30 September each year submit an annual performance statement to EPA for the previous financial year in accordance with the Annual Performance Statement guidelines(EPA Publication 1320). The EPA periodically audit organisations through a “notice to produce” process. Latrobe City Council was provided with a “notice to produce” in November 2011 against the 2010-11 annual performance statement for Hyland Highway landfill. The notice and the resulting inspection report is below:
Under the EPA licence for the Hyland Highway landfill Latrobe City Council is required to prevent offensive odours discharging beyond the boundary of the premises. To assist council to meeting this requirement the Odour reporting form below is provided for residents to fill out and provide to council (email or hard copy) detailing detected odour events. Council officers will use this information to investigate trends, influencing factors and any correlating data to help problem solving.
Environmental Audit Report, June 2010
In October 2009 after heavy rainfall events leachate from the secondary leachate collection system was detected in the pit indicating a problem with the primary liner of the cell. EPA Victoria was notified immediately of this finding and ordered Latrobe City Council to undertake an Environmental Audit report under Section 53V of the Environmental Protection Act 1970 in relation to the environmental performance of Cells 1 and 2 of the Hyland Highway landfill, and to “determine the risk of any possible harm or detriment to the land, groundwater and surface water environments……….following the detection of leachate in the leachate detection sump.”
Council engaged an EPA Victoria Approved Environmental Auditor for the purpose of preparing an environmental audit report for the investigation into the performance of the landfill primary liner and leachate collection system.
The environmental audit investigation included site visits and field works undertaken by the auditor and his staff, the construction contractor and Latrobe City officers, and the provision of information and reports from the construction, all previous audits and monitoring. EPA officers were present for all site visits and field works and assistance provided by GRWMG executive officer.
The auditor completed the environmental audit report and submitted to EPA Victoria’s Environmental Audit Unit in June 2010. The major finding of the environmental audit investigation was that despite the primary liner becoming permeable, there is no evidence to suggest that the secondary composite liner will not perform adequately to protect the groundwater environment. In the auditors opinion the current landfill cells are currently operating in a manner higher than a ‘standard’ EPA BPEM designed putrescibles waste landfill cell would.
As an outcome of the Environmental Audit Investigation at the Hyland Highway landfill discussions have been held with EPA Victoria regarding implementation of the auditor’s recommendations, particularly for the design and construction of future cells.
The Environmental Auditor has recommended improvements for future cell design to include a sump inside the cell so as leachate can be collected and pumped to the leachate pond in contrast to gravity flow in the current cell, decrease the gradient in the cell floor and an enhanced liner design exceeding the BPEM requirements. The two diagrams show the existing cell liner and the proposed alternative cell liner.
A works approval amendment was approved by EPA Victoria under the Environmental Protection Act 1970, No. 8056 of 1970 Part III – Environment Protection S.19C to make the changes recommended by the Environmental Auditor.
All inquiries should be directed to Deirdre Griepsma on 0351 285 735 or deirdregr@latrobe.vic.gov.au.
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