Page 709 - Week 02 - Thursday, 18 February 2016
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(9) (10) Since the beginning of December 2015, EPA officers have visited Mugga Lane Landfill on 14, 15, 23 and 24 December 2015 and again on 11, 20 and 28 January and 5 and 15 February 2016. After undertaking the latest inspection on 15 February 2016, the EPA Officer also drove to Fadden, the predominant source of the complaints, with no unnatural odour detected.
Officers have also visited the surrounding residential areas on numerous occasions in relation to odour complaints with the most recent visit being undertaken on 8 February 2016, with the EPA officer unable to smell any odours. Complaints are often received by Access Canberra a day or more after the actual incident. Access Canberra acts on these complaints as soon as practical after they are received, which is often on the same day. This response is subject to the availability of EPA resources.
I understand ACT NoWaste officers have also inspected the Mugga site on 5, 16, 19 and 24 November 2015; 7, 10 and 21 December 2015; and 7 and 14 January 2016. ACT NoWaste has confirmed that on none of these visits were odour levels abnormal.
An officer from Capital Works, Design and Delivery, TaMS also visited both the site and surrounding suburbs on 4 and 5 January 2016 and reported that no odour was present at the landfill boundary, with the exception of a slight organics odour at the front entrance of the MLRMC on 5 January 2016 with and no putrescibles odour detected within the suburbs.
Site visits to the landfill in relation to complaints are unannounced. However for site safety purposes, Remondis are notified once EPA staff are on site. All other visits in relation to EA compliance are announced.
(11) Under clause 2.1 of the EA, Remondis is required to undertake all practicable steps to minimise dust, noise and odour emissions from the landfill. Assessment against this clause is done using the human olfactory system (smell) which is done on a continuous basis as a staffed site.
Also by landfill standards, Mugga Lane Landfill would not be considered an odorous landfill as its waste stream only comprises approximately 35% putrescibles waste with the remainder being inert from the commercial and industrial or construction and demolition sectors.
(12) (13)As above, all odour assessment is done using smell. There are no plans to introduce any odour monitoring system as human noses are the most sensitive instrument available to measure odour.
(14) Odour is a very subjective matter and to date the EPA has yet to verify the source of the odour. The EPA is continuing to investigate complaints as they are received which can be complex since in some cases the locations and times of the complaints are contradictory.
(15) All field testing undertaken by the EPA has been done using smell (see reply 12 and 13 above).
(16) All rubbish received at the facility is covered as soon as operationally possible and certainly by the end of each operation day. Since 13 January 2016 the tip face has been covered at the end of each day with soil rather than an alternate cover on instruction by EPA.
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