Page 708 - Week 02 - Thursday, 18 February 2016

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As odours are still being reported, investigations are continuing in order to discover the source.

(2) The Environment Protection Authority (EPA) is continuing its investigation at the Mugga Lane Resource Management Centre (MLRMC) while ensuring that the various operators on site continue their compliance with their Environmental Authorisations (EA).

(3) Complaints received were as follows:

(a) Access Canberra see (c) below;

(b) Environment and Planning Directorate = 0;

(d) (e) TaMS/ NoWaste= 14 (since March 2015 and many are duplicated in the EPA numbers. 5 of these complaints received were from the same individual);

(f) Any other Directorate/ Agency = 0

(4) (5) The MLRMC is government owned and managed by the TaMS, via ACT NoWaste. The landfill operations are contracted out by ACT NoWaste and are currently undertaken by Remondis Australia Pty Ltd (Remondis).

In relation to the Environment Protection Act 1997 the operation of a commercial landfill facility that receives more than 5,000 tonnes of waste per year is a Class A activity and requires an EA to be issued and compliance monitored by the EPA.

Remondis Australia is authorised under EA 0375 to operate a commercial landfill on block 2114 which was granted on 5 March 2002. Prior to this the site operated under EA No 0141 which was granted on 30 December 1998.

It should be noted that the holder of the EA at the Mugga Site has significant responsibility for the proper operation of the waste facility, as does ACT NoWaste as contract and overall site manager.

(6) EA 0375 is the document that Remondis must comply with for operation of the landfill. The EPA has only adopted the Victorian EPA Best Environmental Practice Management (BEPM) for the Siting, design, operation and rehabilitation of landfills for the design and capping of new landfill cells. As an example, the new landfill cells have been designed and constructed to the BEPM by ACT NoWaste and once they are handed to Remondis they will need to be capped in accordance with the standards in the BEPM. For your information, a copy of the BEPM can be downloaded for the Victorian EPA publications website at the following link:
http://www.epa.vic.gov.au/our-work/publications/publication/2015/august/788-3

(7) (8) Under clause 24.3 of the EA, Remondis are required to cover and uncover the compacted waste material on a daily basis using a covering material approved by the EPA. The day cover shall be applied at the end of each operational day and removed prior to the commencement of the next day’s operations.

Remondis is compliant with this clause with waste covered on a daily basis with either intermediate cover (soil) or removable covers.

However, in light of the increased odour complaints, Remondis were directed on 13 January 2016 to cease using the alternate cover (mats) and to cover the tip face at the end of each day with soil.

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