Civil construction, building and demolition guide

EPA has engaged with industry to understand their experiences using the Civil construction, building and demolition guide, (CCBD guide) since its 2020 release, and used these insights to inform an update to the guide that was developed with industry in September 2023.

“This guide is particularly important for the construction, building and demolition industries to understand their obligations under Victoria’s environment protection laws,” said EPA Director Regulatory Enablement Jo Missen.

The CCBD guide is for people whose role involves site planning or environmental management in projects and supporting activities of all scales and complexity.

It supports the construction, building and demolition industries to understand the potential risks of harm to human health and the environment and how to eliminate or reduce these through good environmental practice. It provides an overview of duties under the Environment Protection Act 2017, controls that can be put in place to manage risks, and general information to help manage obligations associated with:

• Noise and vibration, including scheduling works, community consultation, managing noise and vibration at the source, and managing noise using offsite controls.
• Erosion, sediment and dust, including managing stormwater flows, minimising dust, managing stockpiles and working within waterways.
• Contaminated land and groundwater, including identifying presence of contaminated land, and preventing contamination of stormwater and groundwater.
• Chemical storage and handling, including managing storage and handling of liquid and solid chemicals, spill response and cleanup, and managing volatile liquids.
• Waste, including managing different types of waste, storage, collection, transport and removal.

EPA developed the CCBD guide in consultation with construction companies, industry groups, local councils, and government agencies. As part of the update EPA re-engaged with stakeholders to understand the user’s experience with the guide, including currency and accessibility of information. EPA considered all feedback received and used these insights to inform the updates.

Feedback was generally positive with most stakeholders advising that the guide helps them to understand their environment protection responsibilities and informs their decisions and steps they take to manage their environmental risks.

Updates to the guide include new information about managing noise outside normal working hours and inaudibility, sodic and dispersive soils, environmental audit overlays and planning requirements, and managing termite pesticides.
EPA has spoken to industry and promoted the updated guide at events such as the Waste Expo Australia, Build Aware Warrnambool Tradies Breakfast, TAFE talks and presentations, social media, EPA website and during site inspections.

“EPA is committed to supporting industry, and have been doing that through industry associations, industry events and industry publications like ALGA’s Cronicle. It’s important industry have clear and accessible information so that they understand their role in protecting Victoria’s environment,” said EPA Director Regulatory Enablement Jo Missen.
 

Seeking your input on other EPA guidance

EPA is reviewing the Soil sampling guidelines to align with the Environment Protection Act 2017. The updated publication 'Soil sampling for waste soils guidance’ is out for public consultation on Engage Victoria until 21 December 2023.

EPA is also seeking feedback on proposed changes to the way per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in waste and waste soil are managed in Victoria. Public consultation on Engage Victoria is open until 21 December 2023.

EPA contact details
For further information on the CCBD guide or other EPA guidance, please visit the EPA website here https://www.epa.vic.gov.au/ or email the Industry Guidance Unit at Industry.Guidance@epa.vic.gov.au.

Article Published on 12/12/2023

The statements, analyses, opinions, information and conclusions that may be found in the articles of this publication are those of the author and not of the Australasian Land & Groundwater Association Ltd (ALGA), which only acts in the capacity as publisher. No part of this publication can be regarded as legal advice. Although care has been taken in preparing this publication, neither ALGA nor the author represent or warrant that the information supplied is current, complete or accurate. To the full extent permitted by law, the author and ALGA do not accept any liability, or owe a duty of care, to any person in respect of any such information. No person should rely in any way on the content of this publication and are encouraged to seek independent legal or other professional advice, if required.

FieldTech Solutions was co-founded in 2012 by Dr Ross Headifen and John Mancarella, both passionate about the environment and sustainability. Between them, they have been supplying environmental equipment for more than 25 years to the groundwater and contaminated land related industries.

Ross and John wanted to tackle the issue of the ever-increasing levels of single-use plastic sampling and monitoring equipment sent to landfills, so embarked on a mission to bring a new eco-friendly approach to the industry.

“We believe our generation’s discarded waste should not be left for future generations to deal with and resources should not be unnecessarily wasted now, depriving our future generations of their use” states Ross.

FieldTech Solutions aims to deliver and manufacture cost-effective products using recovered and recycled materials where practical. FieldTech Solutions also introduced a range of landfill-biodegradable plastic products, a technology that is now used across 25 countries.

The innovative landfill-biodegradable plastic technology is made by combining traditional plastic with an organic additive and has the benefits of it being recyclable, but once disposed to landfill, biodegradation is accelerated approximately 90+% faster than conventional plastics; biodegrading into an organic matter, producing a natural fertiliser and no microplastics.

FieldTech Solutions offers a range of products containing recycled plastic such as well covers and caps, along with single-use disposable products made to be landfill-biodegradable such as tubing, bailers, filters, gloves, and bladders.

FieldTech Solutions has a wide range of products for environmental professionals for well installation, sampling and monitoring, remediation, landfill, water level instrumentation, and water quality.

Co-founder John Mancarella said, “We are proud that we can provide both new and our long-standing customers with quality products that are innovative or have an eco-friendly edge. This has helped us become one of Australia’s leading suppliers for the groundwater and contaminated land related industries”.

“We continue to find new ways we can improve and manufacture every day single use plastic consumables used by the industry to make them landfill-biodegradable” Ross said. “We are currently working on developing pipettes that will biodegrade at an accelerated rate, hoping this small innovation for the industry could reduce a lot of single use plastic waste that ends up in landfill” Ross adds.

To learn more about FieldTech Solutions visit https://fieldtech.tech/

We are committed to reducing our carbon footprint – across our core sectors – Remediation, Water and Resource Recovery, by ensuring we provide better environmental outcomes for our projects. For instance, we have been actively incorporating solar panels into our Mobile Water Treatment Systems, reaping significant benefits. This application creates a more sustainable alternative to diesel generators on sites without a permanent power supply. There is an immediate and substantial reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by eliminating the reliance on diesel-powered generators. Further benefits are then realised in parallel to emissions reductions through streamlining and reducing operational labour costs for refueling, and a quieter environment free of noise pollution.

The ripple effect of this progressive move extends, as it abolishes the need for large-scale fuel transportation to the project sites. The logistical intricacies and environmental toll associated with truckloads of fuel are nullified. And, the most transformative aspect of our solar integration strategy is its capacity to establish operational footholds in remote regions, ensuring geographical flexibility.

Brayden Rees, General Manager Resource Recovery & Water at Enviropacific, explains, “We have operated a solar powered Mobile Water Treatment system without interruption in Melbourne since 2017, which is a testament to the technology, working in typically cloud Victorian covered skies!"

To top it, our solar systems are mobile, able to be folded for transport and reconstructed on other sites. With a battery storage capability ensuring 24/7 operations and remote telemetry to monitor site conditions, battery levels and operations, we are providing an industry-leading sustainable initiative to make our environments safer and communities sustainable.

See the system below in action currently on a Major Energy Wholesaler’s site in eastern Melbourne.

What are Organotins and why are they of environmental concern?

Organotins are compounds with at least one tin atom covalently bound to a hydrocarbon. They are widely used in industry and agriculture as they possess antifungal and antibacterial properties. They are essential in antifouling paints, wood preservatives, and as stabilisers and catalysts in plastics, notably PVC production.

Among these, Tributyltinoxide (TBTO) gained attention, as it was used in antifouling paints to deter marine organism growth on ships and marine structures but breaks down into persistent and ecotoxic Tributyltin (TBT), harming aquatic life and posing health risks. Many nations, led by the International Maritime Organization, banned, or restricted TBTO use since 2008, reducing TBT contamination significantly. Ongoing monitoring is vital to safeguard wildlife from any residual TBT impacts especially in ports and harbours.

Image 1: Organotins are used in the production of antifouling paints, wood preservatives and plastics production including PVC.

How do we analyse Organotins at Eurofins Environment Testing?

As there are multiple organotin compounds that can be found in the environment with each exhibiting varying levels of toxicity. It is very important to speciate these to assess their individual impact within the analysed sample accurately.

A rapid method for the speciation of Organotins has been developed, deploying Liquid Chromatography with Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (LC-ICP-MS). This technique offers exceptional sensitivity, specificity, and selectivity, eliminating the need for an additional derivatisation step.

Our approach allows for the quantitative determination of Monobutyltin (MBT), Dibutyltin (DBT), and Tributyltin (TBT) in aqueous (drinking water, surface water, saline water, wastewater, leachates) and solid (soil, sediment, biosolids) samples. Our method is ISO17025 accredited, and the Limits of Reporting (LORs) are according to the relevant guidelines. The advantage of this instrument setup is that it can also be adapted for the speciation of arsenic and chromium.

Image 2: A rapid method for the speciation of Organotins has been developed utilising LC-ICP-MS.

How do we report our results?

For comparison of the obtained results with the regulatory limits of the relevant Guidelines in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand (see Table below), the TBT results are stoichiometrically converted into the correct format TBTO and Tributyltin (as Sn) using the factors outlined in Figure 3.

Figure 3: Conversion factors of measured results to TBTO and TBT as Sn

SLR are global leaders in full-spectrum sustainability solutions: providing clients with strategic advice and on the ground technical support, partnering with them in Making Sustainability Happen.

The quality of land beneath a site is frequently a primary consideration during acquisition, divestment, and development. Our Land Quality & Remediation group brings proven and practical experience to solving our clients’ land quality issues and our reports are routinely accepted by funders and regulators as being robust and trustworthy.

Obtaining the right advice at the right time when identifying and addressing potential contamination and other land quality issues is vital if appropriate decisions are to be made on whether regulator consultation, a robust risk assessment, and/or a potentially costly remediation scheme needs to be implemented.

To learn more about Land Quality and Remediation team and how we can partner with you throughout all stages of your project life-cycle visit: https://www.slrconsulting.com/services/land-quality-remediation/