13.5 appendix e landfill operations management plan · epa (1997) environmental protection (noise)...

Vancouver Waste Disposal Facility - Application Licence Amendment

Prepared by Bowman & Associates Pty Ltd 11

13.5 APPENDIX E – LANDFILL OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT PLAN

Vancouver Waste Disposal Facility – Operational Management Plan

Bowman & Associates Pty Ltd Page 1

Environmental Engineering Consultants

Waste Management Specialists Tel: 0402 373 582 www.bowmanassociates.com.au PO Box 2059, ROSSMOYNE WA 6148

VANCOUVER WASTE DISPOSAL FACILITY – OPERATIONAL

MANAGEMENT PLAN

This document has been prepared as a training and reference document for use by the management and staff of the Vancouver Waste Disposal Facility. The document requires periodic review and updating to reflect current initiatives and procedures.



DISCLAIMER

The content contained herewith has been compiled in good faith using normal industry practices employed

by Civil and Environmental Engineers and Environmental Scientists. Bowman & Associates Pty Ltd accepts no

liability for loss or damages incurred by any individual or organisation due to reliance on the included

content.

This document and its contents cannot be used for any other purpose or reasons other than those agreed

between the Client and Bowman & Associates Pty Ltd without first obtaining written consent from Bowman

& Associates Pty Ltd.

DRAFT DOCUMENT

This document is currently in draft form and subject to change. Bowman & Associates Pty Ltd reserves the

right to amend this document at any time and without notice while in draft form and accepts no liability for

the accuracy of the content of this document or opinions, recommendations or conclusions included within

this document.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 11

1.1 Objectives of the Operational Management Plan ................................................................ 11

1.2 Guidelines and Regulations................................................................................................... 11

1.3 Facility’s DWER Licence ......................................................................................................... 11

1.4 Facility Location .................................................................................................................... 12

1.5 Landfill Users ......................................................................................................................... 12

1.6 Surrounding Land Uses ......................................................................................................... 12

1.7 Operating Hours .................................................................................................................... 12

1.8 Climate and Meteorology ..................................................................................................... 12

1.9 Topography ........................................................................................................................... 13

1.10 Geology and Hydrogeology ................................................................................................... 13

1.11 Groundwater ......................................................................................................................... 13

2 Waste ..................................................................................................................................... 14

2.1 Solid Waste Definitions ......................................................................................................... 14

2.1.1 Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) ...................................................................................... 14

2.1.2 Commercial and Industrial Waste (C&I) ....................................................................... 14

2.1.3 Construction and Demolition Waste (C&D) .................................................................. 14

2.1.4 Greenwaste ................................................................................................................... 14

2.2 Waste Types .......................................................................................................................... 14

3 Facility Infrastructure ............................................................................................................ 15

3.1 Facility Access ....................................................................................................................... 15

3.2 Security Fencing .................................................................................................................... 15

3.3 Signage .................................................................................................................................. 15

3.4 Power Supply ........................................................................................................................ 15

3.5 Fuel Supply ............................................................................................................................ 15

3.6 Water Source ........................................................................................................................ 15

3.7 Weighbridge .......................................................................................................................... 15

3.8 Waste Tipping Cells ............................................................................................................... 15

4 Personnel ............................................................................................................................... 17

4.1 Vancouver’s Organisational Structure .................................................................................. 17

4.1.1 General Manager .......................................................................................................... 17

4.1.2 Site Supervisor .............................................................................................................. 17

4.1.3 Plant Operator/s ........................................................................................................... 18

4.1.4 Weighbridge Attendant ................................................................................................ 18

4.2 Training ................................................................................................................................. 19



4.3 Position Competency Requirements .................................................................................... 19

4.4 Duty of Care .......................................................................................................................... 19

4.5 Code of Conduct ................................................................................................................... 20

5 Acceptable Waste .................................................................................................................. 21

5.1 Waste Acceptance ................................................................................................................ 21

5.2 Prohibited Wastes ................................................................................................................. 21

5.3 Unacceptable Waste ............................................................................................................. 22

5.4 Solid Waste ........................................................................................................................... 22

5.5 Tyres ...................................................................................................................................... 23

5.6 Asbestos ................................................................................................................................ 23

5.7 Offal and Quarantine Waste ................................................................................................. 24

5.8 Biomedical Waste ................................................................................................................. 24

5.9 Construction and Demolition (C&D) Waste .......................................................................... 24

5.9.1 Asbestos Management ................................................................................................. 25

5.9.2 Asbestos Testing ........................................................................................................... 26

5.10 Greenwaste ........................................................................................................................... 27

6 Landfill Operation .................................................................................................................. 28

6.1 Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 28

6.2 Traffic Control ....................................................................................................................... 28

6.3 Scavenging ............................................................................................................................ 28

6.4 Complaints Register .............................................................................................................. 28

6.5 Data and Records .................................................................................................................. 29

6.6 Facility Communication ........................................................................................................ 29

6.7 Waste Hazards ...................................................................................................................... 29

6.8 Vehicle Plant Damage Reporting Procedures ....................................................................... 29

6.9 Personal Protective Equipment ............................................................................................ 29

6.10 Contractor Induction Checklist ............................................................................................. 29

7 Landfill Liner System .............................................................................................................. 31

8 Waste Placement and Compaction ....................................................................................... 32

8.1 Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 32

8.2 First Lift of Waste in a New Cell ............................................................................................ 32

8.3 Waste Placement .................................................................................................................. 33

8.4 Waste Placement Methods ................................................................................................... 33

8.5 Waste Moisture Content ...................................................................................................... 35

8.6 Waste Compaction ................................................................................................................ 36

9 Landfill Cover ......................................................................................................................... 37



9.1 Daily Cover ............................................................................................................................ 37

9.2 Intermediate Cover ............................................................................................................... 37

9.3 Cover Material Stockpile ....................................................................................................... 38

9.4 Cover Responsibility .............................................................................................................. 38

10 Water Management .............................................................................................................. 39

10.1 Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 39

10.2 Landfill Leachate ................................................................................................................... 39

10.2.1 Leachate Sump .............................................................................................................. 39

10.2.2 Leachate Monitoring ..................................................................................................... 39

10.2.3 Contingencies for Excessive Leachate Levels ................................................................ 40

10.3 Stormwater ........................................................................................................................... 40

10.3.1 Surface Water Monitoring ............................................................................................ 41

10.4 Groundwater ......................................................................................................................... 41

10.4.1 Groundwater Monitoring .............................................................................................. 41

11 Landfill Emissions .................................................................................................................. 44

11.1 Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 44

11.2 Dust Emissions ...................................................................................................................... 44

11.3 Odour Emissions ................................................................................................................... 44

11.4 Noise Emissions ..................................................................................................................... 45

11.5 Light Emissions ...................................................................................................................... 46

11.6 Discharges to Water .............................................................................................................. 46

11.7 Discharges to Land ................................................................................................................ 46

11.8 Litter ...................................................................................................................................... 46

11.9 Pests, Vermin and Weeds ..................................................................................................... 47

12 Emergency Response ............................................................................................................. 49

12.1 Relevant Legislation .............................................................................................................. 49

12.2 Emergency Management Plan .............................................................................................. 49

12.3 Responsibility, Authority and Accountability ........................................................................ 49

12.4 Fire Fighting Capacity ............................................................................................................ 49

12.5 Fire ........................................................................................................................................ 51

12.5.1 Fire in Landfill ................................................................................................................ 51

12.5.2 Fire in Waste Haulage Vehicle ...................................................................................... 52

12.5.3 Fire in Buildings ............................................................................................................. 52

12.5.4 Fire near Fuel Storage Tanks ......................................................................................... 53

12.5.5 Fire in Plant and Equipment .......................................................................................... 53

12.5.6 Shrub Fires .................................................................................................................... 53



12.6 Out of Hours Incident............................................................................................................ 54

12.7 Spills (liquid and non-liquid) ................................................................................................. 54

12.8 Landfill Gas ............................................................................................................................ 54

12.9 Geotechnical Instability ........................................................................................................ 55

12.10 Sighting of Asbestos .............................................................................................................. 55

12.11 Medical Emergencies ............................................................................................................ 55

12.12 Emergency Training/Drills ..................................................................................................... 56

12.13 Emergency Contacts ............................................................................................................. 56

13 Reporting ............................................................................................................................... 57

13.1 Annual Audit Compliance Report ......................................................................................... 57

13.2 Annual Environmental Report .............................................................................................. 58

13.3 Annual Review ...................................................................................................................... 58

14 Landfill Closure and Rehabilitation ........................................................................................ 59

14.1 Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 59

14.2 Progressive Rehabilitation .................................................................................................... 59

14.3 Landscaping........................................................................................................................... 59

14.4 Closure Plan .......................................................................................................................... 60

14.5 Landfill Cap ............................................................................................................................ 60

14.6 Landfill Gas Vents .................................................................................................................. 62

14.7 Monitoring of Landfill Gas .................................................................................................... 63

14.8 Contours and Vegetation ...................................................................................................... 63

14.9 Facility Closure and Aftercare ............................................................................................... 64

14.10 Landfill Completion ............................................................................................................... 64

15 References ............................................................................................................................. 65

16 Appendices ............................................................................................................................ 66



APPENDICES

Appendix A DWER Licence L7344/1998/10 ...................................................................................... 66

Appendix B Daily Diary ..................................................................................................................... 93

Appendix C Complaints Register ...................................................................................................... 95

Appendix D Bushfire Management Plan......................................................................................... 129

TABLES

Table 1 DWER Licence Conditions Summary ..................................................................................... 12

Table 2 Groundwater monitoring bore locations .............................................................................. 13

Table 3 Risk classification matrix........................................................................................................ 25

Table 4 Surface levels of the base of landfill liners ............................................................................ 41

Table 5 Contingencies for deteriorating groundwater quality .......................................................... 42

Table 6 Inspection of fire fighting equipment .................................................................................... 51

Table 7 Emergency Contacts .............................................................................................................. 56

FIGURES

Figure 1 Landfill cell layout .................................................................................................................. 16

Figure 2 Vancouver’s organisation structure ...................................................................................... 17

Figure 3 Landfill liner design ................................................................................................................ 31

Figure 4 Expected daily fill area ........................................................................................................... 33

Figure 5 Shaping the waste lift (push down method) ......................................................................... 34

Figure 6 Add waste to gain maximum compaction (pushing down method) ..................................... 34

Figure 7 Shaping the waste lift (pushing up method) ......................................................................... 34

Figure 8 Maximum compaction (pushing up method) ........................................................................ 34

Figure 9 Waste levels are correct ........................................................................................................ 35

Figure 10 Application of cover............................................................................................................... 35

Figure 11 Maintain correct waste floor level ........................................................................................ 35

Figure 12 Landfill cap performance standards and indicative cap design ............................................ 61

Figure 13 Schematic of a typical passive landfill gas vent ..................................................................... 62

Figure 14 Passive landfill gas vent ......................................................................................................... 63



ACRONYMS

AACR Annual Audit Compliance Report

ACM Asbestos-containing material

AF Asbestos fines

AHD Australian Height Datum

AQIS Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service

Director Chief Executive Officer of the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation

C&D Construction and Demolition

DFES Department of Fire and Emergency Services of Western Australia

DWER Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (formerly Department of Environment and Conservation, DEC, and Department of Environment, DoE)

EMR Environmental Monitoring Report

EP Environmental Protection

EPA Environmental Protection Authority

Facility Vancouver Waste Disposal Facility

FA Fibrous asbestos

FCP Filling and Closure Plan

GHG Green House Gas

KPI Key Performance Indicator

Licence Mindijup Rd Tyre Disposal Site operating Licence L7344/1998/10

Licensee Vancouver Waste Services Pty Ltd

MSW Municipal Solid Waste

NATA National Association of Testing Authorities

OHS Occupational Health and Safety

OMP Operational Management Plan (this document)

OPP Operating Practices and Procedure

ERP Emergency Response Plan

PPE Personal Protective Equipment



Premises Lot 102 on Plan 22860 located off Mindijup Road, Palmdale in the City of Albany

SWL Standing Water Level

WA Western Australia



1 INTRODUCTION This Operational Management Plan (OMP) identifies the operating and management procedures for the

Vancouver Waste Disposal Facility (Facility) operated by the Vancouver Waste Services Pty Ltd (Vancouver).

The OMP provides information concerning the Facility to ensure efficient Facility operation and to control

environmental impacts. The OMP is a working document that shall be revised and updated as necessary by

Vancouver.

1.1 OBJECTIVES OF THE OPERATIONAL MANAGEMENT PLAN

The objective of the OMP is to provide a tool for Facility management by documenting procedures that will

ensure efficient Facility operation, and will control environmental impacts.

1.2 GUIDELINES AND REGULATIONS

Vancouver must endeavour to comply with Guidelines and Regulations issued by the relevant authorities,

including the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER) in relation to the operation of the

Vancouver Waste Disposal Facility, and compliance with the Licence issued by the DWER. Vancouver Waste

Services Pty Ltd must advise the Director of the DWER where compliance is not possible. The relevant

Guidelines and Regulations include:

EPA (1986) Environmental Protection Act;

Department of Occupational Health, Safety and Welfare (1996) Occupational Safety and Health

Regulations;

West Australian Government (1979) Litter Act 1979;

The Bush Fires Act 1954;

West Australian Government (2008) Waste Avoidance and Resource Recovery (WARR)

Regulations;

DEC Landfill Waste Classification and Waste Definitions 1996 (As Amended);

EPA (1997) Environmental Protection (Noise) Regulations 1997 (As Amended);

EPA (2002a) Interim Guidance Statement for the Assessment of Odour Impacts (No.47), and

EPA Victoria Best Practice Environmental Management, Siting, design, operation and

rehabilitation of landfills (August 2015).

1.3 FACILITY’S DWER LICENCE

The current Licence, number L7344/1998/10 (Appendix A), issued by the DWER; the categories and

maximum throughput of the Licence are summarised as follows:



Table 1 DWER Licence Conditions Summary

DWER LICENCE CONDITIONS

Name of Licensee Vancouver Waste Services Pty Ltd

Classification of Premises and permitted throughput

Category 63 Class I inert landfill site accepting up to 500 tpa of used tyres

Category 67A Compost manufacturing and soil blending with a licenced capacity of 12,000 tpa

Term of Licence 4 years.

1.4 FACILITY LOCATION

The Vancouver Waste Disposal Facility is located approximately 52 km north east of Albany on Lot 102 on

Plan 22860 located off Mindijup Road, Palmdale in the City of Albany. Lot 102 covers an area totalling 584

hectares (ha) and has facilities for various types of waste disposal. The site is owned by Martin James

Shuttleworth. The site for the landfill is completely cleared of natural vegetation as the site was previously

used as farming land.

1.5 LANDFILL USERS

The Vancouver Waste Disposal Facility accepts waste from City of Albany and commercial waste from

Vancouver’s Waste Transfer Station in Albany. The Facility is closed to both commercial users and the general

public. Waste collected at the Vancouver Waste Services Waste Transfer Station in Albany is delivered to the

Facility.

1.6 SURROUNDING LAND USES

The Facility is surrounded by land consisting of agricultural land, plantation timber, sand extraction and

natural vegetation. The property north of the proposed Facility supports blue gum plantation. The property

to the east is natural bush followed by grazing land. To the south is a sand extraction pit surrounded by

natural vegetation. To the west is Lot 3, owned by Martin Shuttleworth and forms part of the Prescribed

premises.

1.7 OPERATING HOURS

The Facility’s operating hours for waste acceptance are Monday to Saturday 6:00 am to 5:00 pm (excluding

New Year’s Day, Good Friday and Christmas Day).

Outside these hours the facility is closed for waste acceptance, however following closure for waste

acceptance the Facility may have ongoing operations for the application of cover material. This may continue

for up to 90 minutes after the above closure times.

1.8 CLIMATE AND METEOROLOGY The Bureau of Meteorology weather station (9500) located in Albany has recorded the following historical

data (1880 – current):

Mean Annual Rainfall: 931.5 mm

Mean Maximum Temperature: 19.5 °C

Mean Minimum Temperature: 11.7 °C.



1.9 TOPOGRAPHY

Topography throughout the site generally slopes downward in a north westerly direction. Maximum

elevation of the site is approximately 135 m Australian Height Datum (m AHD) which occurs along the

southern boundary. The lowest elevation occurs on the north western corner of Lot 102 and is at a height of

108 m AHD.

1.10 GEOLOGY AND HYDROGEOLOGY

The site is to excavated of fine white silica sand prior to the landfill being constructed. Underlying the sand is

a sandy clay material of low porosity.

1.11 GROUNDWATER

Geotechnical investigation has been carried out on the location of the landfill. Five (5) groundwater

monitoring bores have been developed to determine the depth to groundwater and to confirm direction of

flow. Bores MW12, MW13 and MW16 are located in close proximity to the landfill. These bores have a

minimum depth to groundwater of 21.66 m. The excavation for the landfill is no more than 10 m providing a

minimum 17.5 m thick unsaturated zone beneath the landfill, refer Table 2.

Table 2 Groundwater monitoring bore locations

Bore ID Northing Easting Elevation (m AHD)

Depth to Groundwater

below ground level (m)

MW12 6153162 599418 132.9 31.07

MW13 6153459 599169 122.3 21.66

MW14 6153446 598757 117.35 15.99

MW15 6153053 598735 131.25 Bore dry at time of

sampling

MW16 6153300 598952 123.45 21.81



2 WASTE

2.1 SOLID WASTE DEFINITIONS

2.1.1 Municipal Solid Waste (MSW)

Municipal solid waste includes waste collected by Councils or their agents from household kerbside waste

services, waste delivered to disposal sites by resident’s vehicles, waste from Council activities such as bulk

kerbside collections, street litter collections, waste from parks and waste from sweeping machines.

2.1.2 Commercial and Industrial Waste (C&I)

The primary source of commercial and industrial wastes are commercial establishments and non-

biodegradable wastes from industrial, manufacturing processes and horticultural waste, particularly

packaging processes and the food and hospitality industry.

2.1.3 Construction and Demolition Waste (C&D)

Waste from building demolition, road construction and civil works and consists of concrete, sand, gravel, soil,

timber, steel, plastic and paper.

2.1.4 Greenwaste

Waste that originates from trees, plants and shrubs.

2.2 WASTE TYPES

The types of waste accepted at the Facility include:

Animal carcasses;

Offal;

Bricks and concrete;

Asbestos;

Electrical appliances (E-waste);

Household waste; and

Commercial waste.



3 FACILITY INFRASTRUCTURE

3.1 FACILITY ACCESS

The main access to the site is from Lot 3 Mindijup Road, Palmdale. The Landfill is situated on Lot 102 located

behind Lot 3.

3.2 SECURITY FENCING

The Facility is enclosed in a 2.0 m high security fence to prevent unauthorised entry to the Facility. Gates at

the entry to the Facility are closed and locked during out of hours. The security fence is:

Inspected on a daily basis to ensure integrity of the fence;

Repairs to any damage found to the security fence, security gates and litter fences is carried out

within one working day of discovery of the damage;

Litter fences are erected to ensure that windblown waste is contained within the boundaries of the

active landfill area; and

On a weekly basis, or as required, windblown litter is removed from the Facility’s fences and roads

along with windblown litter emanating from the Facility.

3.3 SIGNAGE

Signage displaying waste acceptance criteria, cover load requirement, speed limits, prohibited waste, contact

details and operating hours are installed at the entrance.

3.4 POWER SUPPLY

All mobile plant items required for Facility operation use diesel fuel, or other hydrocarbon fuel, and as such

there will be no requirement for power around the Facility. The weighbridge operates using solar power.

3.5 FUEL SUPPLY

Fuel is stored on Lot 3 in a bunded bulk tank. Refilling of plant and equipment is carried out using a mobile

tanker.

3.6 WATER SOURCE

Water for the Facility is provided from a large dam on the site located on Lot 3 just north of the Tyre Disposal

Facility.

3.7 WEIGHBRIDGE A manned weighbridge and a site office are located along the entrance road of the Facility. As vehicles

approach the weighbridge there is signage to the left that indicates to the driver to move on to the

weighbridge one at a time.

3.8 WASTE TIPPING CELLS

The locations of the landfill cells are shown in Figure 1. The Landfill is located to the south of the

weighbridge.



Figure 1 Landfill cell layout



4 PERSONNEL

Waste management facilities require adequate staffing levels to ensure that during operating hours all

continuous tasks are completed in compliance with the OMP and the Licence. Clear definition of staff

function, roles and responsibilities is necessary to ensure this.

4.1 VANCOUVER’S ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE

Vancouver has the following management structure at the landfill facility.

Figure 2 Vancouver’s organisation structure

4.1.1 General Manager

The General Manager is responsible for ensuring that all work relating to the landfill is carried out in

accordance with the Licence, OMP and Vancouver’s own policies.

4.1.2 Site Supervisor

The Site Supervisor has the overall responsibility for the strategic day to day planning and management of

the Facility. This includes:

Being in attendance at the Facility for a minimum of one hour at the start and at the end of each

working day;

Ensuring that landfill operations are carried out in accordance with the OMP;

Ensuring that activities are in accordance with the Licence;

Ensuring that activities are in accordance with Vancouver’s own policies;

Assisting in preparing reports;

Contributing to any review of the OMP;

Coordinating environmental monitoring programmes undertaken;

Keeping landfill records as required by Vancouver and/or the Licence;

Acting on complaints and keeping a complaints register;

Acting immediately on any Occupational, Health and Safety (OHS) issues as they arise, keeping a risk

management register of any incidents and/or accidents, and informing the General Manager;

Coordinating training programmes;

Plant operator

General Manager

Vancouver Waste Services

Weighbridge

Attendant

Site Supervisor



Assisting with design activity for capping, leachate, stormwater and gas management;

Management of landfill staff;

Coordinating the cleanliness of the Facility;

Providing leadership and direction to landfill staff on site;

Organising traffic movements and safety issues within the Facility;

Supervising the maintenance of road, fence, sedimentation and erosion traps, signs and general

infrastructure within the Facility;

Rostering of staff at the Facility including the weighbridge;

Induction of new employees and site visitors;

Assessment of competency levels of the Contractor’s Plant Operators;

Perimeter fence inspections, maintenance and repair;

Maintenance of the Contractor’s vehicles/plant;

Management of unacceptable waste loads;

Managing disposal areas for “special waste types”; and

Managing landfill cover operations.

4.1.3 Plant Operator/s

Plant Operators duties include:

Efficient operation of landfill heavy equipment of which they have verified competency and

authorisation to operate;

Processing waste in accordance with the OMP and Licence conditions including identifying

unacceptable materials at the tip face;

Maintaining a safe tipping area;

Covering the waste at the end of the day;

Maintaining the plant in good working condition;

Ensuring site is kept clean and workable;

Perimeter fence inspections, maintenance and repair;

Litter clean up;

Traffic control;

Leachate management;

Dealing with landfill users and directing them to the appropriate areas and/or material stockpiles;

Responding to enquiries;

Knowledge of landfill and safety procedures;

Operation of hand and power tools; and

Performing other duties as required.

4.1.4 Weighbridge Attendant

The Weighbridge Attendant has the following skills and responsibilities:

Operation of the office and weighbridge;

Proficient in the operation of computers and Microsoft software;

Proficient in the use of the weighbridge software;

Dealing with landfill users and directing them to the appropriate areas and/or material stockpiles;

Responding to enquiries; and

Knowledge of landfill and safety procedures.



4.2 TRAINING

Staff training should be adequate for environmentally responsible and safe management of the Facility, and

to meet the conditions relating to staff competency outlined above. At a minimum staff training should

ensure that:

All operators of compaction or earthworks equipment are skilled at undertaking all tasks required of

them; and

All those who are to inspect or direct the placement of incoming waste are capable of accurate data

recording and skilled at identifying wastes that are unacceptable.

The management of training at the Facility incorporates three elements:

Position competency requirements;

General induction training; and

Site specific induction training.

4.3 POSITION COMPETENCY REQUIREMENTS

The following qualifications/competencies are prerequisites for performing each of the landfill roles.

Site Supervisor Qualifications and/or equivalent experience in managing solid waste

landfills

Proficient in the operation of weighbridge software

Class “HR” drivers licence

Weighbridge

Attendant

Literate

Familiar with the operation of computers

Proficient in the operation of weighbridge software

Plant Operators Class “HR” drivers licence

Accreditation as qualified operator of specific plant

All staff employed by Vancouver will undergo a formal induction programme relating to their position and

OHS training approved by Vancouver.

Site induction and training of landfill staff is undertaken by the Site Supervisor. Training involves the detailed

review and acceptance of documented procedures relevant to each staff member.

Other contractors engaged at the Facility from time to time are also required to undergo a site specific

induction conducted by the Site Supervisor.

4.4 DUTY OF CARE

Employers so far as practicable must ensure the safety and health of their employees and others at the

workplace. This duty applies to all people in the workplace such as visitors, contractors and others. Persons in

control of a workplace so far, as is practicable, must ensure the safety and health of people who are at the

workplace, including those who are not the organisation’s employees.



Employees must take reasonable care to ensure their own safety and health and the safety and health of

others at the workplace. Employees must at all times co-operate with the employer on matters of safety and

health.

4.5 CODE OF CONDUCT

The Vancouver Waste Services Pty Ltd Code of Conduct provides staff and contractors with consistent

guidelines for an acceptable standard of professional conduct. This applies to all staff and contractors on-site,

regardless of their purpose and whether or not they are direct employees. All employees and contractors are

reminded of their obligation to carry out their work in a professional manner so as not to affect the

operational activities of Vancouver or its employees working at the Facility.

All employees and contractors are reminded that the Facility, and everything including materials deposited in

it, is the property of Vancouver. Removal or tampering with Vancouver property will not be tolerated.

All employees and contractors are reminded that the improper use or dissemination of confidential

information about the Facility or other Vancouver operations is prohibited.

All employees and contractors whilst operating at this Facility shall obey any lawful order given by any person

having authority to make or give such an order.

Drug and alcohol use is strictly prohibited. No employee is permitted to be on site with drugs and/or alcohol

in their system.

Any breach of Vancouver’s Code of Conduct will be investigated and may result in the employee(s) facing

disciplinary action or possible dismissal. In the case of contract employees, any contract obligation may be

terminated.

Vancouver has several Operating Practices and Procedures (OPPs) and includes:

Accident Incident Reporting and Investigation;

First Aid;

Protective Clothing and Equipment;

Management of Contractors; and

Fitness for Work.

Vancouver staff and visiting contractors are to comply with the procedures described in the above policies.



5 ACCEPTABLE WASTE The site has been licenced as since 1998 as an inert landfill site for the disposal of tyres and composting of

greenwaste. The Facility is licenced in accordance with the Environmental Protection (EP) Act 1986 as a

multiple category premises:

Category 63: Inert landfill Class I accepting up to 500 tpa of used tyres; and

Category 67A: Compost manufacturing and soil blending with a licenced capacity of 12,000 tpa.

The Facility operations must comply with the EP Act 1986, its Regulations and relevant environmental

protection policies. For the purpose of operating within the Licence, the waste acceptance criteria has been

developed in accordance with the Category 64 Class III putrescible landfill site, detailed in Landfill Waste

Classifications and Waste Definitions 1996 (As Amended 2009; DoE 2009).

The primary objective of the waste acceptance procedures at the Facility is to ensure that only those wastes

that the Facility is licenced to receive are accepted at the Facility.

5.1 WASTE ACCEPTANCE

All vehicles entering the site to deposit waste will be required to stop at the weighbridge. Entry to the

operational area of the landfill will only be gained following approval from the staff at the weighbridge.

The waste stream will be visually inspected upon delivery at the disposal area. The wastes will only be

assessed by members of staff who are familiar with the description for each waste type and/or load they are

inspecting and are familiar with the wastes permitted for disposal at the Facility.

Where the visual inspection of the waste identifies that the waste is not consistent with the description

provided, or is otherwise not permitted at the landfill, then the matter will be referred to the Site Supervisor

for appropriate action.

5.2 PROHIBITED WASTES

Waste types prohibited at the Facility include:

Hazardous Waste which by its characteristics poses a threat or risk to public health, safety or the

environment (includes substances which are toxic, infectious, mutagenic, carcinogenic, teratogenic,

explosive, flammable, corrosive, oxidising and/or radioactive);

Dangerous goods under the Australian Code of Practice for the Transport of Dangerous Goods by

Road and Rail, and categorised as explosives, gases (compressed, liquefied or dissolved under

pressure), flammable liquids, substances liable to spontaneous combustion (excluding organic waste,

and all physical forms of carbon such as activated carbon and graphite); substances which on contact

with water emit flammable gases; oxidising agents and organic peroxides; toxic substances; corrosive

substances;

Intractable Waste, which is waste that is a management problem by virtue of its toxicity or chemical

or physical characteristics that make it difficult to dispose of or treat safely and is not suitable for

disposal in a Class I, II, III or IV landfill. Provided there is no practical alternative destruction or

treatment technology, these are disposed of in Class V facilities;

Radioactive wastes (disposal must be approved by the Radiological Council of Western Australia);

and

Significantly contaminated soils, industrial sludges and certain types of spent catalyst wastes.



5.3 UNACCEPTABLE WASTE

The following measures are in place at the Facility to prevent the disposal of unacceptable waste:

The landfill is staffed at all times it is open for waste to be received;

The Facility is fenced to prevent unauthorised entry and access gates are provided at the Facility

entrance, which are secured with suitable locks outside of operating hours;

Signs are in place indicating the types of waste accepted and those excluded;

Landfill staff are trained to recognise non-conforming wastes;

Development and implementation procedures are available for how to deal with the handling of non-

conforming wastes;

All records are kept for the life of the Facility; and

Vehicles carrying waste that does not comply with the Licence will not be accepted.

The Site Supervisor is responsible for the management of any unapproved or unacceptable wastes identified

at the Facility and for overseeing appropriate actions and assuring compliant waste management practices.

If a load is rejected due to unacceptable waste, this shall be recorded by the Site Supervisor. Records of

odorous loads shall also be made in the Daily Diary (Appendix B). Receival of significant amounts of

unacceptable waste at the Facility constitutes an incident and will therefore be reported as specified in

Section 13.

If the annual review process (refer Section 13) identifies that the waste acceptance procedures need to be

augmented to improve performance, the programme shall be modified. This modification will be based on

the types of unacceptable materials received, and will likely include:

Greater training of staff;

Increased stringency in the screening procedure; and

Increased effort made to educate the waste generators and haulers.

5.4 SOLID WASTE

Solid waste that can be accepted for disposal at the Facility consists of:

Clean Fill being material that will have no harmful effects on the environment and which consists of

rocks or soil arising from the excavation of undisturbed material;

Type 1 Inert Waste being non-hazardous, non-biodegradable (half-life greater than two years)

wastes containing contaminant concentrations less than Class I landfill acceptance criteria but

excluding paper and cardboard (paper and cardboard are biodegradable materials and are therefore

considered as putrescible waste), and materials that require treatment to render them inert (e.g.

peat, acid sulphate soils);

Type 2 Inert Waste (with specific licence conditions) being waste consisting of stable non-

biodegradable organic materials such as tyres and plastics, which require special management to

reduce the potential for fires;

Type 1 Special Waste being waste which includes asbestos and asbestos cement products;

Type 2 Special Waste being biomedical waste which is accepted for supervised burial;

Putrescible Waste being waste that is likely to become putrid - including wastes that contain organic

materials such as food wastes or wastes of animal or vegetable origin, which readily bio-degrade

within the environment of a landfill; and



All other wastes that comply with Class III criteria as outlined in the Landfill Waste Classification and

Waste Definition 1996 (As amended 2009).

5.5 TYRES

Disposal of used tyres to landfill will not occur at the Facility. Tyre disposal is available at the Mindijup Road

Tyre Disposal Site located on Lot 3 adjacent to the entrance to the Facility.

5.6 ASBESTOS

Disposal of asbestos will occur in a defined area in the active landfill cell. The Weighbridge Attendant will

inspect deliveries of asbestos for compliance with the Health (Asbestos) Regulations 1992 developed by the

Department of Health and direct the vehicle to the area for asbestos disposal.

The Disposal of Material Containing Asbestos Guideline (DWER) requires asbestos to be accepted in a manner

so that asbestos fibres are contained in a wrapped/covered shield and labelled as “CAUTION ASBESTOS”. As

soon as practicable the asbestos must be buried within the landfill site.

Asbestos must be:

Transported in a covered, leak proof or lined vehicle;

Separate from other materials when delivered;

Double wrapped in heavy duty polyethylene (0.2 mm thick), or otherwise contained to prevent

airborne fibres;

Labelled appropriately “CAUTION ASBESTOS” in letters not less than 50 mm in height;

Once placed in the Landfill covered with soil with a depth of 300 mm;

Not landfill within 2.0 m of the final landfill height; and

Not disturbed once landfilled.

A site map must also be kept with the current position of any asbestos related material at the Facility. In

order to keep the disposal of asbestos in the one location, asbestos will be landfilled in each landfill cell in

successive lifts in the same area of the cell. In this way the overall footprint of asbestos burial in the landfill is

minimised.

Asbestos is a potentially hazardous material. The Vancouver Waste Disposal Facility only accepts asbestos

that has been securely wrapped in plastic. It is a hazard if the wrapping ruptures while depositing the

asbestos or if waste is disposed of at the site which contains exposed asbestos. These events require

immediate action and therefore are treated as an emergency.

In the event of open air exposure of asbestos, personnel are advised to:

Contact the Site Supervisor;

Evacuate the area of persons not associated with the landfill;

Issue emergency response personnel involved in treating the hazard with appropriate masks and

protective disposable clothing;

Manoeuvre vehicles and staff treating the hazard to be positioned upwind of the specific location;

Contain the exposed asbestos by digging a hole and burying it or covering it with soil, according to

the above-mentioned procedures; and



Prevent entry to the area until further assistance arrives and site evaluation and clearance is

complete.

The Site Supervisor and/or the Plant Operator shall ensure that all material containing asbestos is covered as

soon as practically possible after its disposal with at least 300 mm of cover material and that the disposal

itself is supervised by either the Site Supervisor or the Plant Operator.

Staff at the Facility will be informed prior to asbestos disposal at the Facility. This ensures that the asbestos

will arrive in suitable containment and preparations for burial can take place prior to arrival, hence a quick,

safe disposal.

A register must be kept, by the Site Supervisor, or Weighbridge Attendant, of any asbestos material disposed

of at the Facility, including date arrived, person who disposed of the asbestos and that the material has been

covered properly. This register must be filled out no later than two hours after the arrival of the asbestos on

site. An accurate, to scale site map must also be kept with the current position of any asbestos related

material on the premises.

5.7 OFFAL AND QUARANTINE WASTE

Offal is waste generated by meat and fish processing. Quarantine waste is goods of quarantine concern as

determined by the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) and includes:

Material used to pack and stabilise imported goods;

Galley food and other waste from overseas vessels;

Human, animal or plant waste brought to Australia;

Waste of sweepings from the hold of an overseas vessel, any other waste or other material, which

comes in contact with quarantine waste; and

Articles seized by AQIS.

Offal, animal carcasses and quarantine waste require disposal in a deep pit dug in the active cell and that has

been lined with builders lime. The pit shall be excavated prior to the arrival of the waste delivery and lined

with lime immediately prior to waste placement. Waste is to be covered on placement with 1.0 m of soil

cover.

5.8 BIOMEDICAL WASTE

Biomedical waste is waste generated by medical, nursing, dental, veterinary, pharmaceutical or other related

activity which is: potentially poisonous or infectious; likely to cause injury to public health; or contains human

tissue or body parts.

Although licenced for the disposal of biomedical waste, this waste stream rarely occurs at the Facility, as

biomedical waste generated in the region is disposed of through appropriately licenced biomedical waste

disposal services. However, being a licensed premise, waste of that nature may arrive occasionally, especially

from neighbouring local government areas. Burial of biomedical waste is treated in the same manner as

quarantine waste.

5.9 CONSTRUCTION AND DEMOLITION (C&D) WASTE C&D waste is categorised as either a Type I or Type II inert waste. Both these types of inert wastes are

accepted at the Facility.

The inert wastes allowed for disposal at the Facility include:



Concrete;

Bricks;

Glass;

Tiles and ceramics;

Soils and stones; and

Other mixed inert wastes as approved by the Licence.

5.9.1 Asbestos Management

To minimise the risk of undeclared asbestos or other contaminated building materials being delivered to the

Facility, the following inspection procedures will be utilised:

Drivers of all vehicles carrying C&D waste are asked by the Weighbridge Attendant whether they are

carrying potentially asbestos-contaminated materials and have their consignment dockets viewed;

Loads are tipped at the designated unloading area under scrutiny of trained staff; and

Loads are spread on unloading area and inspected for hazardous materials prior to allowing the truck

to leave the Facility.

If any loads are found to contain asbestos, the offending load will be immediately wetted-down. The Plant

Operator will then contact the Site Supervisor for further advice on disposal at the landfill will be provided.

Loads from buildings or structures constructed after 1990 can be considered to have a low risk of asbestos

contamination. The following risk matrix adopted from Guidelines for Managing Asbestos at Construction and

Demolition Waste Recycling Facilities 2012, Department of Environment and Conservation has been used to

classify the incoming load.

Table 3 Risk classification matrix

Material Type Contamination Risk

Clean Concrete (without formwork)

Low

Clean Brick Low

Clean Bitumen/Asphalt Low

Mixed Construction Material Medium

Mixed Demolition Material High

Loads classified as high risk will not be accepted for processing and will be directed to the landfill area via the

weighbridge.

The staff involved in processing of the C&D waste will be asked to be vigilant at all times to inspect for

asbestos during the whole process. This includes inspection during loading of stockpiles into the screening

plant or crusher and during handling of finished products. Any stockpiles suspected of containing asbestos

will be isolated and managed as per Section 12.



5.9.2 Asbestos Testing

Vancouver has adopted a testing regime to ensure that the users coming into contact with the recycled C&D

products are protected from asbestos (in any form) and any exposure is limited to less than 0.001% asbestos

by weight (w/w) in accordance with the Department of Health’s Guidelines for the Assessment, Remediation

and Management of Asbestos-Contaminated Sites in Western Australia.

The testing of C&D waste will be undertaken in accordance with the Guidelines for the Assessment,

Remediation and Management of Asbestos-Contaminated Sites in Western Australia to determine the

presence of asbestos-containing material (ACM), fibrous asbestos (FA) and asbestos fines (AF). Assessment

for ACM and FA will be undertaken by both visual inspection and laboratory testing. Laboratory analysis will

be undertaken for AF as they are less than 7 mm in size.

A sample of at least 10 L will be collected from the area in the stockpile where current work is undertaken. Sampling will be undertaken in a systematic grid manner to obtain a uniform coverage of the sampling area. Appropriately trained staff at the Facility will immediately separate the sample into two fractions using a 7 mm screen. It is important to note that the samples will be moistened to prevent the generation of airborne particulate matter during their collection and handling. The greater than 7 mm fraction will be spread over a contrasting coloured fabric and visually screened for asbestos material.

If asbestos is detected during the visual inspection that area of the stockpile will be deemed as potentially

contaminated. The potentially contaminated stockpile area will be quarantined using hazard tape and

appropriately trained staff will dispose of that portion of stockpile at the landfill. The handling of potentially

contaminated stockpile will be as per the management procedures stated in Section 12.

5.9.2.1 Verification of Processed Materials

The recycled material produced by the screening and crushing process will be stockpiled in 1,000 m3 batches.

A minimum of 14 samples will be collected from each 1,000 m3 stockpile and sent to a National Association of

Testing Authorities (NATA) accredited laboratory for testing.

The stockpiles will be wet down before and after being spread evenly and sampling will be undertaken in a

systematic grid manner to obtain a uniform coverage of the entire stockpile. Samples will be collected from

different depths across the grid and special focus will be given to suspect areas of the grid.

Each sample collected will be at least 10 L in volume and will be delivered to a NATA accredited laboratory

for testing. The laboratory will separate each sample into two fractions using a 7 mm screen. The samples will

be moistened to prevent the generation of airborne particulate matter during their collection and handling.

The greater than 7 mm fraction will be spread over a contrasting coloured fabric and visually screened for

asbestos material. The less than 7 mm fraction will be sieved to obtain a minimum sample volume of 500 mL

before being submitted for laboratory analysis.

If asbestos is detected during visual inspection or the laboratory test results identify asbestos to be possibly

above 0.001% w/w, then the stockpile will be deemed as potentially contaminated. The potentially

contaminated stockpile will be quarantined using hazard tape and appropriately trained staff will dispose of

the stockpile at the landfill. The handling of potentially contaminated stockpile will be as per the

management procedures stated in Section 12.

With regards to the portion of the samples less than 7 mm in size, no averaging across the samples will be

permitted. For a single exceedance at a level less than 0.001% w/w for a stockpile of 1,000 m3, the stockpile

may be deemed uncontaminated if repeat samples of the immediately adjacent areas are below the specified

exceedance limit of 0.001% w/w.



5.9.2.2 Sampling Responsibility

The samples will be collected by authorised staff with training in asbestos identification. Each sample will be

labelled appropriately (nature of stockpile, batch number and date) and taken to the weighbridge office.

Accompanied by Chain of Custody documentation, the samples will be transported from the Facility to a

NATA accredited laboratory for testing.

5.9.2.3 Sighting of Asbestos at C&D Recycling Area

In the event of open air exposure to asbestos or contaminated C&D material sighted in the C&D stockpile

area, the Plant Operator or inspection staff shall be advised to:


Evacuate the area of unauthorised staff members and other users;

Plant Operator to quarantine the area around the identified asbestos at least 1.0 m outside the

exposed area;

Staff handing the waste to wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) such as respirator;

Wet down the exposed area;

Position the manoeuvre vehicles or staff treating the hazard upwind of the specific site;

Carefully load the asbestos contaminated material on to a truck for disposal at an appropriate

location on the landfill;

Contain the exposed asbestos by covering the load; and

Record the incident in the Facility record system at the weighbridge.

5.10 GREENWASTE

Greenwaste is not accepted for disposal at the landfill facility. A greenwaste processing facility is available at

the site on Lot 3 adjacent to the entry road to the landfill.



6 LANDFILL OPERATION

6.1 INTRODUCTION

The adoption of sound landfill operation and management procedures ensures that the Facility will operate

efficiently and in an environmentally sustainable manner. The primary goals of the OMP are to guide the

operators of the landfill through the everyday procedures which help maintain and protect the integrity of

the Facility. The OMP outlines the key operational procedures for the Facility, which are discussed in the

following sections.

6.2 TRAFFIC CONTROL

The objective of traffic management is to ensure that traffic movements associated with the Facility do not

adversely affect the health, welfare and amenity of other site users. In summary the traffic management

requires:

Appropriate signage that is visible and appropriately maintained;

Speed limit restrictions to reduce the generation of dust;

Clear visibility at intersections within the Facility;

Road safety awareness included in site inductions;

All waste transport vehicles are to be fully enclosed;

Access to the Facility will be through Lot 3 which supports several operational activities involving

truck movements; and

Transport through the site will be managed by the use of UHF radios fitted to both light and heavy

vehicles.

6.3 SCAVENGING

Scavenging is prohibited at the Facility as it is a major health and safety risk. The possibility of an

unauthorised person causing themselves an injury is intermediate, though the seriousness of an injury can be

more extreme. Signs that state that “Scavenging is Prohibited” are displayed at the front gate of the Facility.

It is the responsibility of the Site Supervisor to maintain the signage and monitor theft and possible

scavenging activities at the Facility. If scavenging is occurring during working hours, staff must approach the

person in question and explain that scavenging is inappropriate at the Facility and ask them to cease

scavenging. If scavenging occurs after hours, the police are to be called as the offender is trespassing and is

liable for prosecution.

6.4 COMPLAINTS REGISTER

A Complaints Register is maintained to log public complaints regarding odours, pests, vermin, litter, dust and

noise received at the Facility. The date, time and nature of any complaint are recorded and the subsequent

actions taken to minimise or eliminate the concerns will be logged.

Staff are trained in the requirements to notify and record any public complaints. Appendix C contains the

Complaints Register Form that is to be used by staff for recording complaints.

Complaints and details of corrective actions taken are reported to the Director of the DWER in the Annual

Audit Compliance Report (AACR). Detailed requirements for annual reporting are provided in Section 13.



6.5 DATA AND RECORDS

The objective is to assess waste received and landfilled and to monitor the consumption of air space during

landfill operations. This data is necessary for the following reasons:

To assist in the preparation of accurate reports necessary for completing requirements as required

under the Western Australian Government (2008) Waste Avoidance and Resource Recovery (WARR)

Regulations 2008;

To comply with the reporting requirements as outlined in the Licence;

To assess compaction levels achieved; and

To estimate the projected landfill life expectancy.

A record will be kept for each vehicle entering the Facility. Information recorded will include:

Customer;

Vehicle identification;

Driver’s name;

Date and time of arrival;

Origin of materials;

Type of material delivered and the origin of vehicle contents;

Volume/weight of material delivered; and

Date and time of vehicle exiting the facility.

6.6 FACILITY COMMUNICATION

The communication between staff and management at the Facility is through mobile phones and mobile

radio.

6.7 WASTE HAZARDS

Employees, landfill visitors and contractors are advised that all waste is regarded as hazardous and has the

potential to harm or injure persons not properly trained to handle it, or persons unaware of the potential

hazards.

6.8 VEHICLE PLANT DAMAGE REPORTING PROCEDURES

Vancouver has specific procedures for the reporting of damage to any vehicle or plant item. All damage

should be reported to the Site Supervisor.

6.9 PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is supplied by Vancouver and must be used as directed. This equipment

remains the property of Vancouver and must be returned at the end of the employment period. Typical items

of PPE include gloves, high visibility vests and clothing, hats, insect repellent and sunscreen.

6.10 CONTRACTOR INDUCTION CHECKLIST

Vancouver requires contractors to comply with this contractor checklist. Before contractors commence any

work, they should fully understand and comply with the following:

Contractors have provided to Vancouver proof of adequate insurance cover for:

o Workers Compensation;

o Motor Vehicles and Mobile Equipment;



o Public Liability; and

o Personal Accident (Self Employed Contractors only);

Contractors have ensured that any task requiring a qualification or license is allocated to the person

or persons who can clearly identify themselves as having such qualification or license as required to

complete the task;

All of your workers have undergone a Facility induction;

All of your workers are provided with PPE;

First aid kits are provided in each of your work vehicles;

All of your workers are instructed in the use of items found in the first aid kits;

All of your workers are instructed in the use of available fire fighting equipment such as fire

extinguishers, hoses and blankets;

All of your workers are aware of correct road signage procedures and adequate signage is available

for the work;

All work places are kept in a clean and tidy condition;

All of your workers are aware that they must report any accident, near miss or hazardous situations;

All work sites, during and after, must be left in a clean/tidy and safe condition;

All of your own equipment to be used in the performance of the contract is in a safe working order;

and

All of your workers are aware of the following statement:

“Any contractor or their employee, contradicting Vancouver Waste Services Pty Ltd management

principles and policies may be required to leave the premises or worksite and may be refused re-entry.

Any contract with Vancouver Waste Services Pty Ltd may become null and void.”



7 LANDFILL LINER SYSTEM Figure 3 shows the design of the composite liner system at the base of the landfill cells. The composite liner

system is designed for a Class III putrescible landfill site and is in accordance with the Victorian EPA Best

Practice Environmental Management, siting, design, operation and rehabilitation of landfills (August 2015).

Figure 3 Landfill liner design

The design for the landfill and leachate pond composite liner system from the bottom up is:

Compacted, shaped and rolled subgrade consisting of insitu clay, the insitu clay will form the

secondary layer of the composite liner. The insitu clay will have a hydraulic conductivity of less than 1

× 10-9 m/s and will help in limiting contaminant migration, water seepage and landfill gas migration;

A 2.0 mm thick High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) geomembrane liner will be placed directly above

the insitu clay and will serve as the primary layer to limit contaminant migration and to control

landfill gas migration;

A non-woven geotextile cushion layer will be placed on top of the HDPE liner to serve as a protective

layer, minimising the risk of damage or puncture during installation of the protection layer and

operation of the landfill;

A 300 mm thick drainage layer of single sized crushed aggregate will be placed on top of the cushion

geotextile to serve as a leachate collection layer; and

Over the drainage layer will be a non-woven geotextile which will act as a separation medium

between the drainage aggregate and the waste.

The cross fall grade on the base of the landfill is typically 2% to provide good drainage of leachate to the

leachate sump. Each landfill cell has a leachate sump positioned at the lowest point of the cell floor.

Accumulated leachate is pumped to the leachate pond or liquid waste treatment ponds for re-use in the

compost facility or evaporation.



8 WASTE PLACEMENT AND COMPACTION

8.1 INTRODUCTION

Operations at the tip face are important for the effective environmental management of the Landfill for the

following reasons:

Land management and airspace conservation is affected through tipping supervision, waste

compaction and the plan adopted for filling and final contouring of the landfill; and

Water pollution, air pollution and hazards, and loss of amenity are affected through covering of

wastes.

This section relates to the placement of putrescible wastes within the Landfill at the Facility. Tip face

operations, including the relevant Licence conditions regarding waste placement are discussed in the

following sections.

The Landfill is managed in the following manner:

No waste is placed closer than 35 m to the boundary of the premises;

Waste is placed in a defined trench or within an area enclosed by earthen bunds;

The tipping area is restricted to a maximum linear length of 30 m and waste in the tipping area is

covered at least daily;

Waste is covered daily with at least 230 mm of soil every day;

There is enough cover material to cover waste in accordance with the previous point; best practice is

“at least twice”;

Waste is placed in layers not more than 500 mm in thickness and compacted with at least five passes

of a waste compaction machine weighing 24 tonnes or greater; and

The tipping area is no less than 2 m in height.

The Site Supervisor is responsible for carrying out monthly visual inspections of all haul roads/ramps adjacent

to slopes to check for signs of tension cracks that may be evidence of slope instability. The Plant Operators

are responsible for performing filling activities as specified in this OMP and as directed by the Site Supervisor.

Whenever required, tipping supervision at the landfill will be conducted by the Plant Operator.

8.2 FIRST LIFT OF WASTE IN A NEW CELL

Care must be taken in the placement of the first lift of waste to ensure that the emplaced waste does not

inadvertently damage the underlying landfill liner. Soft types of waste that do not contain large long lengths

of steel, piping and timber or bulky items such as drums that will undergo crushing during compaction should

be used. The preferred type of waste to be placed in the first lift in a new landfill cell is municipal solid waste

(MSW) collected from household 240 L mobile garbage bins (MGB).

The placement of the initial lift of waste in a new cell should be placed in one complete lift of at least 2 m in

depth by tipping the incoming waste at the top of the emplaced waste and the Plant Operator pushing the

waste over the 2 m deep lift. Compaction of the emplaced waste should be done across the entire 2 m lift

using up to five passes of the compaction machine. To avoid potential damage to the underlying landfill liner

the compaction machine should not attempt to compact the face of the emplaced waste as the traction of

the compaction machine from working on the sloping face will move waste, causing slippage and subsequent

possible liner damage.



The placement and compaction of the first lift of waste in a new cell should be continually supervised by the

Site Supervisor to ensure that waste placement does not damage the underlying landfill liner. The Plant

Operator is responsible for ensuring that every effort is made to eliminate large rigid items from within the

waste placed in the first lift of a new cell, not operate the compaction machine on the sloping surface of the

emplaced waste and that waste is deposited on the exposed liner in a vertical manner.

8.3 WASTE PLACEMENT

Waste placement in landfills normally utilises either the “push over”, “push up” or the “push down” method.

The push over method is only used for the first lift of waste in a new landfill cell. The push up method

involves tipping loads of waste at the bottom of the landfill face and pushing the waste up and into the

exposed face of waste, this is the most effective method for achieving good compaction. The requirement for

additional traction when pushing waste up the slope rather than pushing waste down the slope exerts

greater downward pressure on the waste, aiding compaction. When pushing waste upwards, the compaction

machine is required to work harder, consume more fuel and undergoes increased wear and tear resulting in

higher cost for plant operation. For this reason pushing up is often avoided.

The push down method involves the waste being tipped at the top of the batter slope and pushing the waste

over and down the batter slope. This method is much easier to achieve the 500 mm deep layer and working

the compaction machine across the batter slope provides good compaction. The push down method suits a

two machine operation where the dozer pushes waste onto the slope and the landfill compactor works back

and forth over the slope to spread and compact the waste.

8.4 WASTE PLACEMENT METHODS

Following are examples of waste placement methods.

Figure 4 Expected daily fill area

Each level of cover or road material that is not removed is ripped before the next bench of waste is

placed to allow the migration of leachate down to the leachate collection system. If this cover is not

ripped then there is potential for the leachate to travel horizontally and cause leachate popouts.



Figure 5 Shaping the waste lift (push down method)

Continue to add waste to the area in levels of 500 mm to obtain maximum compaction. Use height sticks

to keep the waste surface level.

Figure 6 Add waste to gain maximum compaction (pushing down method)

Figure 7 Shaping the waste lift (pushing up method)

Figure 8 Maximum compaction (pushing up method)

At the end of day make sure waste surface is level, and if not, top up with waste prior to placing daily

cover.



Figure 9 Waste levels are correct

Figure 10 Application of cover

Figure 11 Maintain correct waste floor level

8.5 WASTE MOISTURE CONTENT Moisture content has been shown to have a significant effect on compacted density. It is believed that water

tends to weaken the bridging characteristics of refuse, particularly paper and large pieces of cardboard,

thereby allowing tighter consolidation. The water may also act as a lubricant as it does for soils. A minimum

amount of moisture can increase refuse compaction density with the optimum moisture content for

maximum compaction of household refuse around 50% by weight. Although higher moisture content

provides higher in-place densities, more leachate is produced.



8.6 WASTE COMPACTION

The depth of each compacted layer of waste is the single most important controllable factor influencing

density. To obtain maximum density, waste should be spread and compacted in layers not exceeding a depth

of 500 mm, excluding the initial lift. Thicker layers will reduce the density of waste that the compaction

machine can obtain in a given number of passes.

Number of passes made over the refuse also affects density. Regardless of the type of machine used, the unit

should make at least five passes to achieve optimum density. More than five passes tends to result in little

additional compactive effort.

Maximum compactive effort by a track-type unit is achieved by working the waste on a maximum slope of

5:1. Track-type machines achieve higher densities by grinding and shredding the refuse into smaller pieces as

they climb a slope. The opposite is true for landfill compactors; the flatter the slope the better. This is

because the weight of the landfill compactor is more efficiently utilised and concentrated when working on a

flat surface. Landfill compactors that are used on slight slopes (maximum 8:1) achieve a higher compaction

density due to shearing stress that aids shredding and better blending of material.

Other measures for best practice waste placement and compaction will include:

Keep covering waste to maintain the active tipping area at less than 30 m in width;

Place wastes at the base of each lift and compact wastes in layers of approximately 500 mm;

The waste deposited at the tipping face will be compacted in 500 mm layers using a minimum of five

passes by the compactor; and

Ensuring that bulky items are independently crushed prior to landfilling and covered with other

waste. It may be necessary to excavate a trench in the landfill to bury large bulky items.

Selection of the compactor machine is dependent on:

Amount and type of waste to be handled on a daily basis;

Amount and type of soil cover to be handled;

Distance cover material to be transported;

Weather conditions;

Compaction requirements;

Landfill method utilised;

Supplemental tasks;

Budget; and

Growth.

The Plant Operator is responsible for ensuring that every effort is made to achieve good compaction by

continually pushing waste onto the compacting area. The Plant Operator is also responsible for continually

spreading and compacting waste pushed onto the compacting area.

The Site Supervisor will ensure adequate stockpiles of cover are maintained. The achieved compaction rate

(excluding cover material) is included in the AACR. If the required compaction rate is not achieved, the

method for compaction will be reviewed in context with the types of waste being received. If low density

waste is being received and the target rate cannot be achieved, then no further action may be necessary. If

action is necessary, this may include increasing the number of passes over the waste or upgrading of

equipment used at the Landfill.



9 LANDFILL COVER An essential part of landfilling operations is the placement of cover over wastes. The purpose of cover is to

mitigate against any environmental or health impacts including:

Minimising landfill odours;

Controlling litter;

Preventing the spread of fire;

Controlling disease vectors such as birds, flies, mosquitoes and rodents;

Ensuring that the landfill is trafficable;

Limiting infiltration of water; and

Minimising emission of landfill gas.

The waste landfilled in the landfill should be covered at the end of each day, however if significant volumes

of waste are received, waste should be covered as soon as practicable to maintain the length of the active

tipping area at less than 30 m.

Daily cover should be applied to a minimum cover thickness of 230 mm. Materials other than soil must not

be used without approval from the Director of the DWER.

At least two weeks cover material must be available at the Facility under all weather conditions. This material

can either be obtained on-site, or alternatively delivered to the Facility. A cover material stockpile to last at

least two days must be maintained adjacent to the tip face at all times.

Daily cover will be used at the end of each working day to cover the deposited waste in the landfill. The cover

material will typically be sand or soil. The choice of material used as daily cover will be an important

management consideration at the landfill as it could potentially limit gas and leachate movement, thereby

stratifying the waste. The daily cover may be scraped and removed temporarily before additional waste is

placed on top. If this occurs, the daily cover will then be stored for re-use.

An intermediate cap (thickened daily cover material) will be placed over waste that will be left for extended

periods of time, e.g. in excess of 90 days. Prior to placement of wastes over these areas the intermediate cap

will be removed and the surface ripped to prevent stratification within the waste body.

9.1 DAILY COVER

A minimum 230 mm of daily cover will be applied over the waste in the putrescible cell prior to ceasing

operation at the end of each day. If sand is used, the cover may be at least 300 mm.

If odorous loads are received, these are buried amongst existing waste as soon as possible. Where possible,

daily cover material will be removed prior to the commencement of further filling operations in that area.

9.2 INTERMEDIATE COVER

Intermediate cover material, and clayey in nature, is applied to a depth of 300 mm over surfaces that will be

exposed for more than 90 days.

To promote water runoff while the intermediate cover is exposed (and also when buried) the cover will be

graded at a minimum slope of 2% away from the active landfill area. This will also limit the potential for

build-up of leachate within the active landfill area.



When active landfilling is to recommence over an area that has been previously capped with intermediate

cover, the intermediate cover will be stripped off to the degree practicable or ripped in order to minimise the

potential for perched leachate to subsequently develop within the landfill. Where intermediate cover is not

fully stripped back, the intermediate cover is to be ripped to allow the free draining of leachate down

through the landfill.

Wherever cover has been shifted due to strong winds or erosion from stormwater, a re-application of cover

is required in order to maintain appropriate waste coverage.

9.3 COVER MATERIAL STOCKPILE

Material excavated from the Facility will be stockpiled in close proximity to the landfill area for use as daily

and intermediate cover material. In addition, a minimum two weeks supply of a heavier clay based cover

material will be maintained on site for the purposes of:

Reserve stockpile of cover material;

Heavier cover material for use in areas susceptible to high winds; and

For use in the event of a landfill fire.

9.4 COVER RESPONSIBILITY

Daily cover controls windblown litter, vermin and landfill odours.

The Plant Operator is responsible for ensuring that the tip face is clean and all waste is compacted and

covered appropriately at the completion of each day.

The Site Supervisor is responsible for:

Assessing which materials are to be used as cover material;

Ensuring that there is sufficient cover material available;

Ensuring that the daily covering of waste is conducted in an effective manner; and

Assessing the requirement for intermediate cover and ensuring that it is placed appropriately.

If there is evidence of litter or odour nuisance due to insufficient cover being placed on the daily working

face, a thicker daily cover should be utilised. If the material being used as cover is assessed to be

inappropriate for use as cover material, an alternative material will be located and used.



10 WATER MANAGEMENT

10.1 INTRODUCTION

Preventing pollution of water (groundwater and surface water) by leachate is one of the primary

environmental goals of the OMP. Of primary concern for water pollution is the potential impacts from

landfill leachate.

10.2 LANDFILL LEACHATE

Landfill leachate is the liquid that percolates through landfills, thereby coming into direct and prolonged

contact with waste materials. Leachate is delivered from either water that has entered waste filled areas and

has been potentially contaminated by waste materials, or liquid that has been released from the waste mass

by the degradation of organic waste and compressed out of the waste mass.

The objective of leachate management is to prevent any contamination of ground or surface waters by

leachate. The measure taken to ensure leachate does not contaminate the groundwater is the construction

of a composite liner beneath the landfill. This prevents the leachate from penetrating further below the liner

to the level of the groundwater table. At the Facility, any leachate collected on the composite liner flows to a

sump where the leachate depth is monitored and pumped to the leachate pond. Leachate may be re-

circulated back on to the landfill, consumed by the compost facility or evaporated from the leachate pond.

The leachate sumps are located in the lowest point of each lined landfill cell.

10.2.1 Leachate Sump

In the lowest position on the floor of each landfill cell a leachate sump will be constructed. The leachate

sump shall consist of a depression in the base of the landfill and lined with the same composite liner system

as rest of the landfill base but with an additional layer of HDPE beneath the sump. Two HDPE pipes will run

from the leachate sump up the side wall of each cell for leachate extraction. The HDPE pipes will have holes

drilled in them to allow the free flow of leachate from the leachate sump into the pipes.

10.2.2 Leachate Monitoring

The level of leachate head kept on the composite liner must be maintained to be no more than 300 mm over

a composite liner in the vicinity of the sump. Monitoring of the leachate level within the leachate sump must

be carried out monthly, or more regularly if required, and particularly after large storm events. Results of the

monitoring shall be recorded at the weighbridge.

In the event that the leachate head is greater than 300 mm over the liner, the Site Supervisor must organise

the removal of leachate from the leachate sump with the use of a pump inserted down the leachate sump

pipe, in order to achieve the maximum height of 300 mm of leachate over the liner. The removed leachate

can be either placed back on the tipping face, or in a trench dug into the emplaced waste in the landfill to be

absorbed into the landfill or trickled over areas of daily cover for evaporation; in both cases the leachate

either dissipates back into the landfill or evaporates to the atmosphere.

Excess leachate can be pumped to the leachate pond for use in compost manufacture or evaporated.

The main aim of monitoring landfill leachate within the leachate sump is to:

Determine the leachate levels within the cell, and

To identify the specific chemical characteristics of the leachate that will assist in identifying any

potential leakage of leachate into groundwater.



The production of leachate is highly variable and is dependent on a wide range of site specific parameters

and conditions. The monitoring regime adopted at the Facility will aim to identify and enable adjustments to

be made as a result of site specific changes that may occur in leachate levels and composition.

10.2.3 Contingencies for Excessive Leachate Levels

In the event that the average of the recorded leachate levels within sump, or well, exceeds 300 mm in more

than 50% of the measurements in a three month period the following action is to be taken:

Increase leachate pumping rates from the base of the landfill;

Check the efficiency of the leachate removal system;

Report in the AACR to the Director of the DWER on what has occurred, that has been addressed and

the results of the subsequent monitoring undertaken; and

If the leachate generation cannot be addressed discuss the risks with the DWER and discuss

corrective measures that can be implemented.

10.3 STORMWATER

Stormwater on a landfill site is water which falls on undisturbed areas of the Facility, and water which falls

outside waste filled areas but over disturbed areas (i.e. cleared or construction, intermediate cover and final

landfill cap) and is potentially contaminated with sediments.

Maintaining a free draining surface for the Facility is one of the primary environmental goals of the OMP.

Stormwater within the Facility will be allowed to discharge directly into the stormwater diversion drains

around the Facility with no treatment and/or containment required. These drains control and manage

surface water flow through the Facility before joining existing natural drainage lines around the Facility

without affecting stormwater quality.

Stormwater management at the Facility includes:

Directing uncontaminated stormwater away from the tipping area;

Ensuring that all drains on the premises are kept clear and allow for drainage;

Ensuring that water that comes in contact with landfill waste is diverted into a sump on the Facility or

otherwise retained on the Facility; and

Ensuring that water and other liquid waste that may result from fire fighting on the premises is

diverted into a sump on the Facility or otherwise retained on the Facility.

To action the stormwater management the control design features of the facility include:

Rainwater coming into contact with the waste and/or leachate will be managed as leachate;

The stormwater management system will be separate to the leachate management system for the

Facility;

Bunds and stormwater drains will be established to redirect surface water outside of the footprint

and away from the landfill;

Surface water generated on-site from hardstands, stockpiles, landfill cap and other areas outside of

the landfill footprint will be directed to the collection drains for dissipation and evaporation; and

Landfill capping will be undertaken as soon as possible following landfill cell completion to reduce

stormwater infiltration.



The Site Supervisor is responsible for conducting inspections and organising the maintenance activities

detailed below and for ensuring that an appropriately qualified individual is selected to undertake the

nominated maintenance activities.

10.3.1 Surface Water Monitoring

There are no surface water bodies within the near vicinity of the Facility. Clean surface waters generated

they are directed to collection drains and dissipated.

10.4 GROUNDWATER

The design of the landfill cells considers the following:

An undisturbed separation distance, of at least 2.0 m, between the waste and the highest level of

groundwater; and

A minimum distance of 100 m maintained between the landfilled areas and the nearest surface

water body.

The objective of monitoring groundwater is to ascertain and protect the current groundwater flow and

quality at the Facility. Several groundwater monitoring bores exist on the Facility and are located in strategic

locations around the landfill, refer Section 1.11.

Groundwater flows steadily from the south to the north at a depth of between 101.0 m and 101.5 m AHD.

The surface level of the landfill liner are summarised in Table 4.

Table 4 Surface levels of the base of landfill liners

Cell Top of Landfill Liner

(m AHD)

1 120.0 – 123.0

2 119.0 – 122.0

Standing Water Level 101.0 – 101.5

Standing Water Level Below Landfill 17.5 – 20.5 m

The Licence states that landfilling operations are to be kept 2.0 m above the highest water level. With the

existing top of the landfill liner measured at a minimum of 119.0 m AHD at its lowest point, the unsaturated

zone that exists between the highest standing water table and the landfilled waste is at a minimum 17.5 m.

10.4.1 Groundwater Monitoring

Groundwater beneath the landfill site will be monitored on a regular basis in each of the three (3) bores for

each parameter shown below.

Bore Elevation (m AHD)

Depth to SWL (m bToC)

SWL (m AHD)

pH

Electrical Conductivity (µS/cm)

Calcium (mg/L)

Chloride (mg/L)

Nitrogen

Kjeldahl Nitrogen

Nitrate & Nitrite

Ammonia

Sulphate

Aluminium

Arsenic



Cadmium

Chromium

Copper

Iron (total)

Lead

Manganese

Nickel

Mercury

Selenium

Zinc

Sampling and testing of groundwater is on a six (6) monthly basis. Groundwater samples shall be collected by

an experienced technician and handled and preserved in accordance with AS 5667.1998 – Water Quality

Sampling and analysed at a NATA accredited laboratory.

The chemical parameters that are analysed in the groundwater during the monitoring regimes will reflect:

Composition of the waste that will be managed in accordance with the OMP;

Site infrastructure that could potentially contribute to deterioration of groundwater quality; and

Groundwater quality as established during the initial groundwater monitoring undertaken.

The aim of assessment criteria is to focus the monitoring data collected, whereby adverse trends in

monitoring data can easily be identified. It provides an early warning system to enable appropriate

investigation and/or corrective measures to be implemented.

The assessment criteria aim to identify adverse trends in groundwater which are indicative of leachate

impacts or other site infrastructure (fuel storage etc.) impacts.

The management strategy for groundwater protection and monitoring will conform to the conditions of the

Licence. Where groundwater monitoring indicates elevated chemical parameters in the results in comparison

to previous monitoring, a contingency plan will be implemented based on the criteria set out in Table 5.

Table 5 Contingencies for deteriorating groundwater quality

Monitoring

Regime Assessment Criteria

Cause of Potential

Impact Contingency Action

Groundwater is

sampled from a

bore every six (6)

months and

testing in

accordance with

this Section.

The chemical

analysis

concentrations

exceed previous

assessment criterion

from routine

monitoring sampling

events.

Spillage from the liquid

pond unloading area.

Leakage from punctures

in the liners of the

liquid ponds.

Spillage of fuels/liquid

wastes/leachate.

Leaking infrastructure

i.e. leaking leachate

extraction pipes.

Leaking landfill liner

system for the landfill.

Inappropriate leachate

re-circulation.

Landfill fire, damage to

Check for any obvious leaking

pipes (e.g. leachate pipes) or

infrastructure at the site,

addressing and documenting

any failures immediately.

Initiate repeat sampling and

analysis.

Increase the monitoring regime

to three monthly for an

extended range of parameters

in consultation with the DER.

Assess any management

practices at the site (e.g.

method statements) which may

be contributing to variation.

Document and address any

failures immediately.



Monitoring

Regime Assessment Criteria

Cause of Potential

Impact Contingency Action

the landfill structure. Cease re-circulating leachate at

the site until the variation has

been addressed.

Report in the AACR to the

Director of the DWER how the

variation has been addressed

and the results of the

subsequent monitoring

undertaken.

Implement the corrective

measures as agreed with the

DWER and amend the

management plans accordingly.

The general approach to this contingency plan will be as follows:

Identification of the type of contamination;

Assessment of the potential environmental impact;

Isolation of the source of the contamination;

Assessment and implementation of appropriate treatment for the contamination;

Further monitoring to pin point the contamination source; and

Undertake measures to rectify the source of contamination.

It is difficult to be precise about the remedial action until the type, severity and source of the contamination

has been identified. However, having an OMP with a number of options will ensure that any issues are dealt

with quickly and efficiently, in accordance with regulatory agencies.

All monitoring results will be recorded and reported to the Director of the DWER annually. Wherever an

abnormal result is identified, the sample will be immediately directed for analysis in a NATA accredited

testing laboratory and investigations implemented to identify potential causes for the abnormality.

Vancouver is responsible for ensuring that an appropriately qualified professional is selected to undertake

and report on the monitoring requirements and in collaboration with Consultants, is responsible for

reviewing the monitoring results.

Reporting on the groundwater monitoring programme to the Director of the DWER is required on an annual

basis as part of the AACR.



11 LANDFILL EMISSIONS

11.1 INTRODUCTION

The management of potential emissions and landfill amenity is one of the primary goals of the OMP. To

protect the amenity of the Facility, certain objectives need to be met in order to sustain an environmentally

sound and safe Facility.

11.2 DUST EMISSIONS

The following management and mitigation measures are proposed to manage emissions during the operation

of the Facility:

Materials excavated as part of the earthworks activities are stockpiled within specific locations

identified as causing minimum dust emission at the site boundary;

The surface of the landfill will be sealed with a landfill capping system. This will minimise potential

dust emissions from the surface of the landfill. The landfill cap will be vegetated to provide erosion

control;

Unsealed roads, exposed areas and earthworks are watered down regularly, or as required, to

minimise windblown dust migration;

All site traffic will, unless authorised, adhere to the site speed limit of 60 km/hr to minimise dust

generated by vehicle movements,

Dust emissions are monitored on a regular basis through visual inspections of disturbed and open

areas in accordance with the existing Licence conditions;

If visual dust inspections and complaints both indicate that dust is being generated from the site, and

is crossing the site boundary, then additional dust management techniques are to be adopted such

as mulching, hydro seeding, chemical crusting agents or additional use of water trucks or sprays;

Good housekeeping practices are adopted on-site to minimise dust generation;

All solid waste materials delivered to the facility are contained in a covered vehicle, which is only

unloaded within the active cell and in the vicinity of the tipping face;

Existing vegetated areas which are not required during the construction and operation of the Facility

are maintained;

Disturbed areas not required during the operation of the Facility, are progressively stabilised with

native, or other vegetation approved by the DWER, once operational use is complete;

Emplaced wastes are regularly compacted; and

Following completion of waste placement, the surface will be capped and re-vegetated as soon as

possible to minimise potential dust emissions.

11.3 ODOUR EMISSIONS

Landfills pose an air quality risk through landfill gas (comprised of Methane and odorous compounds) and

odours emanating from odorous waste and/or through the normal decomposition process. The objectives for

odour management at the landfill are:



No safety or environmental impact due to subsurface migration of landfill gas;

The minimisation of greenhouse gas emissions; and

The prevention of offsite nuisance odours.

Odour control is required to ensure that air quality objectives are met and that there is no loss of amenity

from odour through the prevention of any offensive odours beyond the boundary of the premises. Best

practice landfill management requires that all reasonable and practical measures to prevent or minimise the

discharge of waste odours should be undertaken.

The following management and mitigation measures have been adopted for the Facility and will be

maintained to minimise odour emissions during the operation of the Facility:

Any activities conducted on-site will not degrade the integrity of the installed lining and capping

system. This is achieved through the adherence to operational management processes on-site;

All wastes delivered to the Facility are contained in a covered vehicle to minimise potential odour

emissions;

The waste types accepted at the Facility are controlled in accordance with the Licence;

No prohibited waste is accepted at the Facility;

Odorous waste is covered immediately upon delivery;

Only one tipping face for putrescible waste is active at any time, where the surface area of the active

tipping face is kept as small as possible;

Daily inspections of the tipping face are undertaken;

Operational procedures adopted at the tipping face are aimed to prevent surface ponding of water

which can potentially emit odours;

Incoming putrescible waste material at the facility is covered as soon as practicable following

placement within the landfill cells;

Effective compaction of the waste also acts to minimise the release of odours from recently tipped

waste;

The leachate sumps will be routinely checked for odour emissions;

Weather conditions are monitored on-site; and

Cover materials placed for adverse weather conditions are able to reasonably withstand the

anticipated conditions without significant damage and exposure of the underlying waste material.

In the event of excessive odour emanating from the active landfill area remedial actions which could be

undertaken include:

Increasing the thickness of the cover or using other more cohesive materials;

Application of an odour suppressant;

Provision of improved drainage to minimise the occurrence of standing water; and

Spreading of hydrated lime over newly filled or saturated waste.

11.4 NOISE EMISSIONS

The following initiatives are undertaken to minimise noise emissions:



Personnel have access at all times to operational manuals for equipment being utilised and must be

familiar with the procedures detailed in the operations manual;

All workers must wear appropriate hearing protection if in close proximity to machinery for extended

periods;

A Complaints Register is maintained at the Facility to record any complaints received; this register

includes the date, nature and resolution action of any complaints received;

Following complaints, the source of any excessive noise is identified and work practices modified or

re-scheduled to reduce or eliminate the risk of future events;

All mobile plant used on-site is regularly maintained, including exhaust mufflers; and

Speed limits are enforced on all site access roads.

11.5 LIGHT EMISSIONS

The Facility is operated during daylight hours; the risk of light emissions is negligible.

11.6 DISCHARGES TO WATER

Stormwater channels are constructed around the Facility to capture uncontaminated stormwater for

dissipation into the surrounding environment.

11.7 DISCHARGES TO LAND

Prevention of groundwater contamination is managed through the use of a composite landfill liner system, a

leachate drainage system and liner drainage grades of 2%. The separation distance from the base of the

landfill composite liner system to groundwater is no less than 17.5 m and complies with Licence conditions.

Groundwater monitoring is undertaken at the Facility every six (6) months.

11.8 LITTER

Management practices which are adopted on-site to minimise the potential impact of litter include:

A policy of good housekeeping at the Facility throughout construction and operation phases;

The Facility is maintained in a secure manner using fences and gates so that only authorised

vehicles and persons can enter the site;

Any damage to fences or litter screens is repaired within two working days of discovering the

damage;

Ensuring that any waste that has been washed away by stormwater or blown away from the

tipping area is collected and returned to the tipping area on a monthly basis, or more frequently

if required;

Site Supervisor and other staff are trained in, and familiar with, the guidelines issued by the

DWER on waste acceptance and the requirements of the Licence;

A speed limit is enforced at the site, to limit the potential for materials loss (litter) from vehicles;

Only one tipping face is active at any one time; the surface areas of the active tipping face will be

kept as small as possible;

Daily inspections of the tipping face is undertaken by the Site Supervisor;

All deliveries are vetted to verify their origin and nature before the load is allowed to be

deposited at the tipping face;



Delivered waste is deposited promptly upon receipt;

Adequate mobile plant equipment is available on-site for the placement, compaction and

covering of waste;

An adequate supply of daily cover materials is also readily available on-site;

The waste is compacted as soon as practicable, following placement, to reduce the potential for

windblown litter;

Daily meteorological monitoring is undertaken, as part of the daily operations to assist with the

planning and management of litter;

During dry and windy conditions the active tipping area is kept damp by watering;

Daily cover (soil) is deposited over the putrescible waste at the end of every working day;

No putrescible waste surfaces are left uncovered for extended periods of time (e.g. in excess of

12 hours);

Litter fences are installed around the active landfill cells;

Dedicated staff are employed to collect windblown litter from litter fences and from around the

Facility;

Facility boundary fences are used to control any litter which migrates outside the active landfill

area;

Regular inspections are performed of the Facility boundary fences, with collection of litter

around the Facility boundary and beyond, specifically targeting ditches and access/haul roads;

Completed cells are capped promptly once design height has been reached; and

Waste vehicle delivery drivers are requested to inspect their vehicles prior to leaving the site to

ensure all doors are securely closed and no waste debris is left on the vehicle.

11.9 PESTS, VERMIN AND WEEDS

The objective is to minimise disease vectors emanating from the landfill by denying pests and vermin food

and shelter and to manage the Facility in a manner that it does not become a habitat for noxious weeds.

Management practices adopted to minimise potential impacts on amenity include:

Wastes delivered to the Facility will be contained in a covered vehicle to minimise potential odours,

which may in turn attract pests, vermin and birds, as well as prevent the potential escape of

environmental weeds;

A policy of good housekeeping will be endorsed at the Facility throughout construction and operation

phases;

Only have one tipping face for solid waste on each active cell open at any one time, where the

surface area of the active tipping faces will be kept as small as possible;

Daily inspections of the tipping face will be undertaken by the Site Supervisor;

No prohibited waste will be accepted at the Facility; the waste acceptance procedure of the Facility

will be adhered to at all times;

Highly odorous waste will be covered immediately upon receipt;

Waste which has been awaiting collection for some time is prone to fly infestations; when accepting

this waste it is promptly buried;

Daily cover is placed over the putrescible waste at the end of every working day;



Effective compaction of the waste acts to minimise the release of odours from recently tipped waste

and reduce the potential for vermin and bird ingress;

Bird scaring techniques will be employed on-site if deemed necessary. Where undertaken a log of

techniques employed will be maintained on-site to assess the effectiveness of the methods

employed;

Adequate mobile plant equipment will be available on-site for the placement, compaction and

covering of waste;

An adequate supply of daily cover materials will be available at the Facility;

Completed cells will be capped immediately after they reach the projected design profile;

Wastes generated on-site is stored in bins with lids to prevent vermin and bird ingress;

Facility bins are emptied on a regular basis; and

Nearby land users will be advised of appropriate contacts that will record and subsequently address

any valid pest, vermin or bird complaints.

The Site Supervisor will contact any complainants that have concerns related to vermin and determine the

nature of the nuisance. If the nuisance is of an ongoing nature as deemed from the receipt of repeated valid

complaints, the Site Supervisor will take steps to ensure that any identified impacts are addressed.

The Site Supervisor is responsible for ensuring that observations regarding the number of pests, vermin and

weeds observed are recorded and for taking corrective action in the event of pest, vermin and weed

population increases.

If pest or vermin problems are identified at the Facility, a local extermination firm will be contracted to

control pest populations or at least conduct a count for later reference and comparison. If weed problems

are identified at the Facility a spraying programme will be undertaken to eradicate the problem.



12 EMERGENCY RESPONSE

12.1 RELEVANT LEGISLATION

Legislation pertinent to an emergency plan for a waste disposal facility includes:

Australian Standard AS3745 “Emergency Control Organisation and Procedures for Buildings”;

Occupational Safety and Health Act 1984 (As Amended);

The Bush Fires Act 1954; and

Environmental Protection Act, 1986.

12.2 EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PLAN

Attached as Appendix D is the fire management plan for Lots 3 and 102 Mindijup Road, Palmdale Fire

Management Plan, Bowman & Associates, July 2018. This document describes the levels of risk for various

areas of the site and includes requirements for fire breaks and site emergency access routes.

The following section of the OMP provides more detail regarding preventative measures and actions to be

taken in the event of a waste facility specific emergency including fires at the landfill. If a hazard scenario is

encountered that is not addressed in this document Vancouver shall investigate the incident and amend the

OMP accordingly.

12.3 RESPONSIBILITY, AUTHORITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY

It is the responsibility of Site Supervisor to ensure that the emergency procedures are conveyed and made

available to Facility personnel.

It is the responsibility of Site Supervisor and staff to follow these emergency procedures.

It is the responsibility of those personnel nominated in the Emergency Contacts list, Section 12.13 to perform

their appointed duties.

It is the responsibility of the Site Supervisor to ensure that the relevant authorities, including the General

Manager, are notified of an incident.

The Site Supervisor, in conjunction with the General Manager, has the responsibility to notify surrounding

neighbours in the event of an emergency that could impact them.

12.4 FIRE FIGHTING CAPACITY

The Bush Fires Act 1954 and the Licence provide guidance that aims to prevent bush/grass and landfill fires

and efficiently extinguish any that should occur through the maintenance of a water supply capable of being

delivered to any point on the Facility, and steps for fire prevention.

The objective is that the general amenity of the area adjacent to the Facility should not be unduly affected by

the operation of the Facility. Therefore the primary environmental objective is to ensure that Facility

personnel have the ability to adequately manage the fighting of fires at any part of the Facility.

The Facility is designed to meet the requirements of the Licence and incorporates the following features

which will minimise the potential for landfill fires:

Facility security will prevent unauthorised access and the potential for vandalism; and



Landfill liner system and landfill cap are engineered to limit the ingress of air into the emplaced

waste.

Management practices which are adopted on-site to minimise the potential impact on amenity include:

Facility security be maintained to prevent unauthorised access during and outside operational hours;

Contractor’s staff be trained in and familiar with the guidelines issued by the DWER on waste

acceptance criteria and the requirements of the Licence;

Prohibited wastes which have the capacity to potentially initiate a fire (e.g. reactive and hot waste)

be refused at the Facility entrance;

Waste which shows evidence of burning due to discharge of heat or smoke (eg. smouldering MSW)

be directed to an authorised disposal location at the Facility for pre-treatment prior to landfilling;

Waste be promptly deposited, compacted and covered to prevent the ingress of air;

Daily cover be placed over the waste at the end of every working day to limit air ingress;

Adequate mobile plant equipment be available on-site for the placement, compaction and covering

of waste;

An adequate supply of daily cover materials be available on-site;

Completed cells be promptly capped to prevent the ingress of air and allow the active control of

landfill gas;

Fires must be extinguished as soon as possible and reported to the Director of the DWER;

A fire management plan be developed for the Facility in conjunction with DFES, Appendix D;

A water truck and back up storage water tank to the satisfaction of DFES be maintained at the

Facility;

In the event of a deep seated fire within the landfill, the use of water be minimised and alternative

methods undertaken to eliminate the ingress of oxygen into the waste body (e.g. capping off the

area); these may include chemical retardants and dedicated landfill fire suppression treatments;

Smoking will only be allowed in certain areas of the Facility that are considered to be of low fire risk;

Areas where smoking will not be allowed include the active cell and in the vicinity of the leachate

sumps;

All fuel or flammable solvents kept in an appropriately ventilated secure store;

Landfill compactors and other machinery at the Facility be fitted with an appropriate fire suppression

system or extinguisher for equipment fires;

Vegetation around the boundary not be allowed to overgrow;

Fire breaks be maintained around the inside of the perimeter security fence; and

In the event of a serious fire, the local fire authority and Volunteer Bushfire Brigade be contacted for

assistance.

The frequency and timing of inspection, monitoring and maintenance activities related to fire prevention are

summarised below.



Table 6 Inspection of fire fighting equipment

Action Item Frequency

Inspection of currency of fire extinguishers. Six monthly

Renewal of Contract for inspection and testing of fire extinguishers.

At completion of service contract

The occurrence of fires constitutes an incident and reporting is undertaken in accordance with the Licence.

If the annual review process identifies that the fire fighting procedures need to be augmented to improve

performance, the procedures should be modified.

12.5 FIRE

There are many different situations at the Facility where fire may result. Some of these are:

Fire in landfill - waste or gas;

Fire in waste haulage vehicle;

Fire in offices/workshop;

Fire around fuel storage tanks;

Fire involving Facility plant and equipment;

Shrub fire on Facility boundary; and

Grass/shrub fire inside the Facility boundary.

Various procedures are in place to prevent fires on-site. These are mainly focused on visual inspection of

areas where fires may be a hazard, general housekeeping to minimise the risk of fire, training of personnel

and the provision of adequate fire fighting equipment, and monitoring of landfill gasses.

Any person that discovers a fire must advise the Site Supervisor or Plant Operator immediately. No action to

tackle the fire must be taken without notifying another person, unless individual safety is at risk.

12.5.1 Fire in Landfill

Preventative measures include:

Operators ensure any potential fire situation is recognised quickly, allowing prompt action to

extinguish it;

Equipment fire suppression systems serviced and inspected regularly and/or as required;

Waste is covered by suitable cover material to ensure that the risk of fire within the waste mass is

minimised;

Flammable goods are not permitted in the landfill without special notifications and/or procedures in

place;

Smoking is only permitted in certain authorised parts of the landfill areas; and

Water truck is available on-site in the event that a fire does occur at the Facility.

For small fires in the landfill excavate any waste on fire and smother the fire with soil. A water truck should

also be used to douse the affected landfill area.



If upon excavation the landfill fire appears to be well established and emanating from deep within the landfill

mass, cover the landfill vents (smoke plumes) with soil to limit oxygen availability to the fire. Using a water

based fire retardant added to the water in the water truck, excavate hot spots and saturate the landfill mass

with fire retardant. If the fire is well established it may be necessary to drill bore holes into the landfill to

allow the fire retardant to be injected into the landfill mass.

Landfills burning below the surface create large voids within the landfill rendering the surface of the landfill

susceptible to subsidence and potentially unsafe. Any fire fighting activities undertaken on the landfill area

should be co-ordinated by the Site Supervisor. Where surface cracking is observed or subterranean

combustion is suspected the area is to be barricaded off to stop entry until the area has been assessed by the

Site Supervisor and emergency services.

Power supply should be switched off if there is subsequent risk.

The Site Supervisor will direct plant operators as to the best approach for individual incidents.

Items of plant and equipment should be moved to a safe distance away from the affected area.

Unauthorised personnel and visitors must not enter the landfill area during a fire event unless instructed and

accompanied by emergency services or on-site personnel and with the appropriate Personal Protection

Equipment (PPE).

12.5.2 Fire in Waste Haulage Vehicle

It is difficult for Facility personnel to take preventative steps against this fire risk, however, to minimise the

risk of damage, staff will direct the vehicle away from the active landfill to a predetermined designated area

that is:

At least 50 m from the active landfill cell;

Has no other inflammable material on it for a radius of at least 50 m; and

Positioned on an area of the Facility where other types of waste have not been deposited.

If the fire is within the waste mass, the driver, if deemed safe to do so, should unload the waste from the

vehicle onto the ground and move the truck away for further inspection. The waste will then be thoroughly

wetted down using the water truck.

If the fire is within the truck cab and chassis the driver should apply park brakes, turn off the engine, alight

from the vehicle and if safe to do so, turn off the isolator switch. The fire should be extinguished using an

appropriate portable fire extinguisher.

12.5.3 Fire in Buildings


Offices will be kept clean and tidy, and waste bins emptied on a regular basis;

All chemicals will be clearly labelled and affixed with a placard (where required);

Smoking will not be permitted, except in dedicated areas with no fire risk;

Hot work (e.g. oxy-acetylene cutting and welding) will only take place in areas away from potentially

flammable materials and permits must be given to conduct this work by the Site Supervisor and/or

authorised personnel;

Fire extinguishers will be serviced and inspected on a six-monthly basis or more frequently if

required;



Hot work will only be undertaken by trained and competent personnel; and

Any spillage of flammable liquid or material will be cleared up immediately.

If possible, power supply to the affected area should be switched off, along with any fuel or gas supplies if

necessary.

If it is safe to do so, any equipment close to the fire should be moved away, along with any other potentially

flammable materials.

12.5.4 Fire near Fuel Storage Tanks


Areas around tanks be kept clean and any waste build up, etc. be removed on a frequent basis;

No other potentially flammable materials or incompatible substances be stored near the tanks;

Any spills of fuel be cleaned up immediately;

All tanks be clearly labelled and stored with the appropriate placards (where required);

Any electricity and fuel lines should be switched off if possible; and

All personnel should keep well clear of the area due to the risk of explosion or other incident, e.g.

release of harmful gasses.

12.5.5 Fire in Plant and Equipment

The operator is to leave the machine as soon as possible, only staying to shut the equipment down if safe to

do so, and where possible turn off the main power isolator switch and activate the fire suppression system (if

any).

Move other plant and equipment away from the fire area if possible.

However, the prevention of a fire is always the most appropriate scenario. Fire preventative measures

include:

All plant be cleaned and maintained regularly to avoid the build-up of waste or other material;

All belly plates and other more inaccessible areas be checked regularly and cleaned out at each

service or more frequently if required;

Plant and equipment be moved away from the active landfill area and any other potential fire areas

when not in use and out of hours; and

Operators to check equipment throughout their shift to ensure that no fires or hazards are imminent.

12.5.6 Shrub Fires

Staff are to fully co-operate with emergency service members in the event of a bush, shrub or grass fire.

The Site Supervisor will assess the situation in conjunction with emergency services and the Volunteer

Bushfire Brigade to provide instruction to Facility personnel as to the best approach to fight the fire.

However, preventative measures are taken to prevent localised build-up of fuel. These include:

Clean up litter around the Facility to limit fuel for a scrub fire;

Check the Facility boundary regularly for other fire hazards and daily during times of high fire danger;

and

The Site Supervisor is to inspect and maintain a fire break inside the full extent of the Facility

perimeter fence.



12.6 OUT OF HOURS INCIDENT

Any incident occurring out of hours should be reported to the Site Supervisor immediately.

If necessary the Site Supervisor will arrange for staff to attend the Facility to assist in the handling of the

incident.

If the assistance of the emergency services is required, then the Site Supervisor will coordinate with the

appropriate services and organise any assistance necessary.

12.7 SPILLS (LIQUID AND NON-LIQUID)

Fuel and chemicals such as motor oil or other polluting chemicals are hazardous to human health and any

spills have the potential to pollute the soil and groundwater. Thus, all spills are to be cleaned up immediately.

A very large spill or a spill of a dangerous chemical will constitute an emergency. In the event of a hazardous

fuel or chemical spill personnel are to:


The Site Supervisor will ensure that all containment and treatment is conducted;

The Plant Operator will assume control of all actions and decisions until the arrival of the Site

Supervisor;

Evacuate the area of non-personnel;

Contain the spill with soil or absorption materials;

Prevent entry to the area until further assistance arrives;

The Site Supervisor will liaise with the emergency services if required;

The Site Supervisor will decide when the affected area of the Facility is to be re-opened’ and

Contaminated soil is to be disposed of in accordance with the DWER Landfill Waste Classification and

Waste Definitions 1996 at an appropriately licensed premises.

12.8 LANDFILL GAS

The objective is to minimise the impact caused by landfill gas on the air quality at different phases of

microbiological breakdown processes of waste. This will help in reducing the Greenhouse Gas (GHG)

emissions from landfill into the atmosphere. Additionally, it will help to avoid any landfill gas migration and

explosion that may result in risk to human health, safety, amenity and risk to the environment.

Landfill gas consists of Carbon Dioxide and Methane. The different pathways through which the landfill gases

are emitted into the atmosphere are:

Through the surface of the uncapped or faulty landfill cap on the landfill footprint;

Subsurface geology;

Uncontrolled leachate migration; and

Faulty landfill gas management system.

The nature of impact will depend on the conditions prevailing in the landfill site and waste composition.

Landfill gas may:

Be odorous and corrosive;

If not controlled, contribute to global GHG;



Be toxic to humans, flora and fauna;

Deplete the native vegetation and impair the rehabilitation plan; and

Be flammable and explosive.

Landfill gas emitted from decomposing waste can pool in areas around the landfill. High risk areas are within

the leachate sumps, Facility depressions, table drains, culverts and valleys in the topography. Landfill gas in

high quantities is extremely explosive due to the high Methane concentration. This poses a serious health risk

in the form of asphyxiation.

In the case of a suspected gas emergency during normal operations on the landfill, any personnel on-site that

experiences nausea or dizziness should contact the Site Supervisor immediately.

In the event landfill gas is suspected to be present in mass, staff are to immediately evacuate the area.

Personnel are not to re-enter the area until the Site Supervisor is satisfied that the emergency situation has

ceased.

12.9 GEOTECHNICAL INSTABILITY

If at any time the Site Supervisor assesses that the safety of personnel working could be impacted by

potential or ongoing instability of the landfill, then the Site Supervisor is to remedy the situation and monitor

its implementation. Such measures may include the immediate suspension of work within the affected area

until stabilisation has been performed.

If at any time a staff member or visitor considers that there could be an instability issue, he/she must inform

the Site Supervisor of the situation.

12.10 SIGHTING OF ASBESTOS

In the event of open air exposure of asbestos or contaminated C&D material sighted at the Facility, the

person observing the incident shall:


The Site Supervisor will evacuate the area by unauthorised staff members or other users;

Plant Operator to quarantine the area around the identified asbestos at least 1.0 m outside the

exposed area,

Staff handing the waste to wear appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) such as respirator;

Wet down the exposed area;

Position the manoeuvre vehicles or staff treating the hazard upwind of the specific location;

Carefully load the asbestos contaminated material on to a truck for disposal at an appropriate

location on the landfill;

Contain the exposed asbestos by covering the load; and

Record the incident in the Facility’s record system.

12.11 MEDICAL EMERGENCIES

In the event of a medical emergency on-site:

If there is any injury or physical harm to an individual, the Site Supervisor is to be notified

immediately,

The Site Supervisor is to notify emergency services, e.g. Ambulance, if required; and



All first aid injuries will be recorded in the Accident and Incident Register.

12.12 EMERGENCY TRAINING/DRILLS

All new employees, during the induction process, must be trained in the Facility’s emergency response

procedures including the location of the emergency Muster Point, contacts list and incident notification.

At least annually, an emergency drill needs to be undertaken at the facility to test and evaluate compliance

against the emergency procedures and identify areas where further training is required and/or changes to

the emergency procedures is required. The implementation of the drill is the responsibility of the Site

Supervisor and the assessment of the drill is to be recorded in the Facility’s record system.

12.13 EMERGENCY CONTACTS

In case of an incident, immediately inform the relevant persons/organisation in Table 7.

Table 7 Emergency Contacts

CONTACT NUMBER

Police/Fire/Ambulance 000

State Emergency Services 9841 2400

Volunteer Fire Brigade 9842 9817

Police - Albany 9892 9300

Hospital - Albany 9892 2222

Doctor - Albany 9845 9000

DFES 6820 2500

General Manager – Vancouver Waste Disposal Facility

0428 464 212

Site Supervisor Vancouver Waste Disposal Facility

TBA



13 REPORTING The Licensee of the Facility, Vancouver, is responsible for maintaining records of Facility operations

in order to demonstrate environmental compliance for the Facility.

In addition, the Licensee must also issue a number of reports to the DWER. The purpose of these

reports is to keep the DWER informed about on-site conditions relating to consumption of air space,

waste disposal tonnages, environmental performance and unusual incidents.

13.1 ANNUAL AUDIT COMPLIANCE REPORT

On or before February 1 each year Vancouver must forward to the DWER an Annual Audit

Compliance Report (AACR) in the form as attached to the rear of the Licence (Appendix A) for

activities at the Facility for the preceding twelve month period. The report will include assessment

against requirements of the Licence and the previous year’s environmental monitoring.

Within the AACR Vancouver is to report:

Measures taken to control pests and vermin;

Number and severity of any fires occurring at the Facility;

Measures taken to suppress dust;

Measures taken to control windblown waste;

Average compaction rates;

Records detailing the number of tyres collected, stored, on-sold and disposed at the Facility;

and

The number and types of complaints received including the nature of complaint, and where

appropriate, cross referenced with prevailing wind directions and actions taken.

It is the responsibility of the Site Supervisor to provide a detailed written report of any incident

and/or accident to Vancouver immediately after the incident/accident has occurred.

Correspondence to Vancouver Waste Services Pty Ltd should be addressed to:

General Manager Vancouver Waste Services Pty Ltd PO Box 508 ALBANY WA 6331 Phone: 0428 464 212

Correspondence to the DWER should be addressed to:

Regional Leader – Industry Regulation, Albany Office Department of Water and Environmental Regulation 120 Albany Highway ALBANY WA 6330 Phone: (08) 6364 7000



13.2 ANNUAL ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT

The Licensee shall by February 1, in each year provide to the DWER an Environmental Monitoring

Report (EMR) that details the monitoring undertaken for the previous period, from 1 January to 31

December.

It is the responsibility of Vancouver to ensure the EMR is completed and submitted to the Director of

the DWER by February 1, each year. The written report will include the assessment of data against

any limits set as conditions in the Licence. The report shall discuss any parameters that exceed the

threshold and the control measures adopted to return to compliance. The report will relate directly

to the Licence conditions and include items such as:

Any changes to Facility boundaries;

Internal buffer zones;

Asbestos and biomedical disposal areas;

Location of groundwater monitoring bores;

Surface water drainage channels;

Any issues raised by the DWER through DWER Facility inspections;

How any issues raised have been addressed; and

Any rectification that is still to be completed.

13.3 ANNUAL REVIEW

On a regular basis, Vancouver will conduct, or arrange for a suitably qualified person, to conduct a

review of the Facility operations to assess compliance and the performance requirements specified

in the OMP and the Licence.

This will include reviewing the overall effectiveness of procedures implemented at the Facility by

Vancouver and suggestion of improvements to procedures or any other aspect. All records including

the Daily Diaries, Monthly Checklists, Complaints Register and Annual Reports will be reviewed at

this time.



14 LANDFILL CLOSURE AND REHABILITATION

14.1 INTRODUCTION

Landfill closure occurs when no more waste is to be accepted at the Landfill on the Facility; it does

not refer to the continual completion and capping of cells throughout the life of the Landfill. Landfill

closure is essentially the final activity in meeting the primary environmental goal of land

management and conservation. Proper landfill closure should result in efficient remediation,

enabling land to be used for other purposes following closure.

Many of the chronic impacts of landfilling occur long after the landfill has closed, and while these

can be mitigated against by good design and operation of the landfill, best practice rehabilitation

and long-term aftercare of the Facility will further minimise the potential of any detrimental impacts

from the Landfill. Best practice for rehabilitation and aftercare should be considered very early in the

design and operation phase of the Landfill.

There are two main aspects to Landfill closure:

Landfill capping and revegetation; and

Post-closure monitoring and maintenance.

The final step for a landfill operator is to obtain a certificate of completion from the DWER which

states that further environmental management of the premises is not required.

14.2 PROGRESSIVE REHABILITATION

Due to the nature of the landfill design and construction operating on a cellular basis, progressive

rehabilitation is able to occur. While waste placement and compaction occurs in a new cell, the old

cell can be rehabilitated.

The rehabilitation plan includes:

Operational requirements, to ensure that the highest after-use value can be achieved;

Identify the potential after-uses for the Facility, taking into consideration trends in the

surrounding area;

Measure surface contours before and after settlement;

Specifications and materials to be used in the final cap; and

Preservation/installation of environmental performance control or monitoring features.

14.3 LANDSCAPING

Landscaping and Facility improvement will be carried out on a continual basis throughout the Landfill

operation. The landscape works are undertaken to achieve the following objectives:

To provide surface stability to areas disturbed by construction of perimeter earth mounding;

To provide additional screening of landfill operations and associated infrastructure from

potential view situations; and

To enhance vegetation diversity and wildlife habitat associated with the Facility.



The landscape works are to be developed in consultation with DWER.

14.4 CLOSURE PLAN

A Closure Plan should:

Specify the steps taken or to be taken in closing, capping, stabilising and rehabilitating the

premises concerned and the time frame for doing so;

Ensure that all leachate collection and stormwater controls, monitoring and reporting

practices, are maintained at a standard equivalent to that employed during the operational

life of the landfill;

Ensure that neighbouring residents are advised of contact persons to discuss any problems

(e.g. odour emissions). Records of these complaints should be kept in the same manner as

approved during operation; and

Ensure that waste materials are not received for disposal by the Facility after landfill

operations cease. Waste materials that are intended for use in the remediation should be

documented and reported in the same way as for an operating facility.

14.5 LANDFILL CAP

The design objectives for the final landfill surface or capping are:

Minimising infiltration of water into the waste, ensuring that the infiltration rate does not

exceed the seepage rate through base of the landfill;

Providing a long-term, stable barrier between waste and the environment in order to

protect human health and the environment;

Preventing the uncontrolled escape of landfill gas; and

Providing land suitable for its intended after use.

The landfill cap provides long-term protection of the groundwater environment. The cap must be

designed such that the infiltration through the cap does not exceed the calculated seepage rate

through the landfill liner. This avoids the so-called ‘bathtub’ effect, in which leachate levels within

the landfill build up.

Rehabilitation plans are based on clear objectives and targets which can be effectively monitored

and audited to conform to objectives as outlined in the EPA (2006) Guidance for the Assessment of

Environmental Factors (No. 6). The objective of the landfill cap and rehabilitation plan is to ensure

that landfills are rehabilitated to minimise the seepage of water into the landfill.

The primary objective for rehabilitation is to minimise environmental impacts resulting from

permanent change to ecosystems. This requires the return of rehabilitated areas to self-sustaining

and functional ecosystems comprised of local provenance species.

The required performance standards of Class III cap, and cap design, which is based on preventing

infiltration by providing a very low permeable layer (clay or composite barrier), are shown in Figure

12.



Figure 12 Landfill cap performance standards and indicative cap design

Where the proposed after use of a landfill is to require revegetation of the Facility, the top-most

layer must be able to support vegetation and be of sufficient depth to ensure that roots do not

penetrate the cap, providing a conduit for water into the landfill and water out of the landfill.

The surface layer should reflect the type and depth of topsoils normally found in the local area.

Where it is not possible to duplicate the local topsoil conditions or the natural soil is too thin to

support adequate vegetation for erosion control, then an appropriate mix of soils 200 to 300 mm

thick should be used provided it is capable of sustaining vegetation. Any mulch used in the cap

should be pasteurised to remove weed seeds, plant pathogens and pests.

Introduced plantings on the landfill should not include any noxious weed variety for that area, nor

should the landfill provide a haven for weeds migrating from the surrounding area. Advice should be

sought on species selected for planting to prevent them from becoming local weeds. It is advised

that planting be restricted to species indigenous to the area and of local provenance in order to:

Avoid inappropriate planting;

Ensure the species are adapted to the local climate; and

Enhance the local habitat.

A drainage layer is sometimes placed between the soil layer and the geomembrane layer and is

generally only used in high rainfall areas or where the cap has a very shallow gradient. If a drainage

layer is incorporated into the landfill cap then it must be designed in a manner such that it does not

dry out the surface layer thereby killing vegetation, and does not prevent the continued hydration of

the low permeability barrier layer causing it to dry and crack. The drainage layer may be a sandy soil

or even gravel, which conveys water to a drainage system at the toe of the landfill cap. Care must be

taken to ensure that the drainage layer is able to drain water from the landfill as an accumulation of

water at the toe of the cap may cause instability in the cap.



Alternative landfill cap designs from those shown above in Figure 12 will need to demonstrate they

meet the required performance objectives.

A Facility rehabilitation and aftercare management plan will be developed to meet the requirements

of Vancouver and the DWER. Facility aftercare is essential in order to meet the primary

environmental goals of land management and conservation.

14.6 LANDFILL GAS VENTS

Passive landfill gas vents will most likely be required to be installed in the landfill cap. The proposed

low density polyethylene (LDPE) membrane inhibits the transfer of landfill gas up through the cap

material. Without venting the landfill gas will build up over time and exit the landfill in an

uncontrolled manner which may cause health and fire risks.

Figure 13 shows a typical schematic of a passive landfill gas vent. The slotted portion of the vent

shall penetrate through the clay lay and into the gas collection layer and landfilled waste. The

passive landfill gas vents will be positioned on a grid with spacing of 60 m between each vent.

Figure 13 Schematic of a typical passive landfill gas vent

Figure 14 shows a passive landfill vent on a completed landfill cap. The vent is protected by four

bollards.



Figure 14 Passive landfill gas vent

14.7 MONITORING OF LANDFILL GAS

Landfill gas composition within and around the landfill footprint will be monitored at the following

locations after landfill closure:

Surface of the landfill;

Culverts around the landfill having the potential for containment of landfill gas (landfill gas

has a higher density than air);

Passive landfill gas vents; and

Joints and valves in leachate and other service pipes.

The objective is to minimise the impact caused by landfill gas on the local air quality across the

different phases of microbiological breakdown processes occurring in the waste mass. This will help

to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions from the landfill into the atmosphere. Additionally, it will

help to avoid any landfill gas migration and therefore mitigate the likelihood of potential explosions

that will invariably result in risk to human health, safety, amenity and the environment.

14.8 CONTOURS AND VEGETATION

It is expected that the Facility will be rehabilitated in such a way as to return the Facility to

agricultural use. Vancouver prefers that the Facility is rehabilitated and returned to either pasture

land or public open space following Facility closure. This will be achieved by:

The topography of the landfill cap blending into the surrounding landscape, with a gradient

of no steeper than 1:5; and

The surface of the cap vegetated with either local pasture grasses, selected local native

species based on the data obtained from baseline vegetation surveys or a mix of the two as

soon as possible following the placement of topsoil to provide erosion control.



14.9 FACILITY CLOSURE AND AFTERCARE

The rehabilitation and aftercare management plan shall include the following:

Prevention and control of erosion;

Filling in areas of subsidence;

Repairing of cracks in the surface of the cap to minimise the entry of water;

Management of vegetation;

Maintenance and operation of leachate collection system; and

Environmental monitoring of groundwater, surface water, leachate, and settlement.

The environmental responsibility of the Facility will only be considered for transfer from Vancouver’s

control when monitoring confirms that the Facility is stable and non-polluting and with written

agreement of the DWER.

14.10 LANDFILL COMPLETION

When sufficient evidence can be provided that the Landfill is stable and non-polluting, Vancouver

may seek to complete all obligations by submitting to the DWER a certified statement of completion

to the effect that Facility remediation work has been completed and further environmental

management of the premises is not required.

Generally, this statement will be expected to show that:

Waste stabilisation has been completed. This would be documented by the composition of

the leachate changing to a low level of contamination, and posing no hazard to the

environment;

Groundwater monitoring has indicated no failure of the landfill liner that would pose a

threat to groundwater quality;

The landfill capping has been fully vegetated and does not experience erosion from wind

and stormwater; and

Documentation to demonstrate that all functions in the closure planning segment of the

OMP and the written confirmation of procedures have been completed.

Once the DWER has approved the certified statement of completion, the last licensee, Vancouver,

can cease the maintenance and monitoring of the Facility, and any financial assurance requirements

will lapse.


Prepared by Bowman & Associates Pty Ltd Page 65

15 REFERENCES Australian Standard AS3745, Emergency Control Organisation and Procedures for Buildings

Health (1992), Health (Asbestos) Regulations 1992

DEC Disposal of Material Containing Asbestos Guideline 2007

DEC (2002), Rural Landfill Environmental Protection Regulations 2002

DEC (2004), Environmental Protection (Controlled Waste) Regulations

DoE (2006), Siting, Design, Operation and Rehabilitation of Landfills

DEC (1996), Landfill Waste Classification and Waste Definitions 1996 (As Amended)

DEC, Code of Practice Rural Landfill Management

Department of Occupational Health Safety and Welfare (1996), Occupational Safety and Health

Regulation

Department of EPA (1986), Environmental Protection Act

EPA (2002a), Interim Guidance Statement for the Assessment of Odour Impacts (No.47)

EPA (1997), Environmental Protection (Noise) Regulations 1997 (As Amended)

EPA (2005), Separation distances between industrial and sensitive land uses (No. 3)

EPA (2006), Guidance for the Assessment of Environmental Factors (No. 6)

Victorian EPA Best Practice Environmental Management, siting, design, operation and rehabilitation

of landfills (August 2015)

West Australian Government (2008), Waste Avoidance and Resource Recovery (WARR) Regulations

2008

West Australian Government (1979), Litter Act 1979

West Australian Government, The Bush Fires Act 1954



16 APPENDICES

Appendix A DWER Licence L7344/1998/10



Appendix B Daily Diary

Date: Day: Completed By: DAILY DIARY

VANCOUVER WASTE SERVICES VANCOUVER WASTE DISPOSAL FACILITY

Weather Conditions: Rain: mm

Average Temperature: OC Wind: KPH Direction:

DAILY SUMMARY – Summary of main activities and issues

MEETINGS COMMENTS

Introduction/Training/Meetings Safety Other ____________ ___________________________________ ___________________________________

VERBAL INSTRUCTIONS – List any instructions received and the names of the persons issuing instructions

VISITORS – List any visitors

NAME/COMPANY REASON

MATERIAL – Summary of plant or materials delivered to site

INDUSTRIAL, SAFETY & ENVIRONMENTAL – List any industrial concerns, accidents, odorous loads, breaches, improvement notices issued on safety or environmental issues. List issues addressed at the tool box meetings or specific verbal instruction given to workers

OTHER COMMENTS – If insufficient space, please attach additional information

SITE SUPERVISOR – Responsible person on site to sign GENERAL MANAGER – Sign to acknowledge that Daily Dairy has been reviewed

Signature: Signature:



Appendix C Complaints Register

Complaints Register

Date

Time

Person

Contact Details

Incident Description

Incident Location

Action Taken Follow-up Action Required

AP

PE

ND

IX C



Appendix D Bushfire Management Plan

Lot 3 and Lot 102 Mindijup Road, Palmdale – Fire Management Plan


Vancouver Waste Services Pty Ltd

Environmental Engineering Consultants

Waste Management Specialists Tel: 0402 373 582 www.bowmanassociates.com.au PO Box 2059, ROSSMOYNE WA 6148

LOT 3 AND LOT 102 MINDIJUP ROAD, PALMDALE – FIRE

MANAGEMENT PLAN



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DISCLAIMER

The content contained herewith has been compiled in good faith using normal industry practices

employed by Environmental Engineers and Environmental Scientists. Bowman & Associates Pty Ltd

accepts no liability for loss or damages incurred by any individual or organisation due to reliance on

the included content. This document and its contents cannot be used for any other purpose or

reasons other than those agreed between the Client and Bowman & Associates Pty Ltd without first

obtaining written consent from Bowman & Associates Pty Ltd.

DRAFT DOCUMENT

This document is currently in draft form and subject to change. Bowman & Associates Pty Ltd

reserves the right to amend this document at any time and without notice while in draft form and

accepts no liability for the accuracy of the content of this document or opinions, recommendations

or conclusions included within this document.

DOCUMENT CONTROL

Version Date Prepared

Prepared By Approved By Approved Signature

Draft 25.07.2018 B Bowman B Bowman

DOCUMENT DISTRIBUTION

VERSION TYPE FORMAT ISSUED TO ORGANISATION

Draft electronic pdf Martin

Shuttleworth Vancouver Waste Services

FILE NAME

180724 Vancouver Site Fire Management Plan.docx



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TABLE OF CONTENTS

1 Landfill Fires ............................................................................................................................. 9

2 Vancouver Waste Services ...................................................................................................... 9

3 Licence L9127/2018/1 ........................................................................................................... 10

4 Site Users ............................................................................................................................... 10

5 Legislation .............................................................................................................................. 10

5.1 Bush Fires Act 1954 ............................................................................................................... 10

5.2 Local Government Act ........................................................................................................... 10

5.3 Environmental Protection (Unauthorised Discharge) Regulations 2004 .............................. 11

5.4 Environmental Protection Regulations 1987 ........................................................................ 11

5.5 Fire Brigades Act 1942 and Fire Brigades Regulations 1943 ................................................. 11

5.6 Construction Standard .......................................................................................................... 11

5.7 Australian Standard AS1851-2005 ........................................................................................ 11

6 Objective ................................................................................................................................ 11

6.1 Fire Management Plan .......................................................................................................... 11

6.2 Document .............................................................................................................................. 11

7 Location ................................................................................................................................. 11

8 Local Environment ................................................................................................................. 12

8.1 Climate .................................................................................................................................. 12

8.2 Topography ........................................................................................................................... 12

8.3 Geology ................................................................................................................................. 13

8.4 Groundwater ......................................................................................................................... 13

8.5 Surface Water ....................................................................................................................... 13

8.6 Surrounding Land Uses ......................................................................................................... 15

8.7 Closest Residence and Buffer Distance ................................................................................. 15

8.8 Flora ...................................................................................................................................... 15

9 Site Risk Assessment .............................................................................................................. 15

9.1 Zone 1.................................................................................................................................... 16

9.2 Zone 2.................................................................................................................................... 16

9.3 Zone Fire Risk Rating ............................................................................................................. 16

10 Fire Management .................................................................................................................. 18

10.1 Fire Management Notice 2017 -2018 ................................................................................... 18

10.1.1 Fire Breaks ..................................................................................................................... 18

11 Fire Management Assets ....................................................................................................... 20

11.1 Access Routes ........................................................................................................................ 20



11.2 Site Infrastructure ................................................................................................................. 21

11.2.1 Water Truck................................................................................................................... 21

11.2.2 Quick Response Fire Unit .............................................................................................. 21

11.2.3 Fire Extinguishers .......................................................................................................... 21

12 Organisational Structure ....................................................................................................... 21

13 Response to Fire .................................................................................................................... 22

13.1 Internal Incident Command Structure .................................................................................. 22

13.2 Personal Protective Equipment ............................................................................................ 23

13.3 Induction ............................................................................................................................... 23

13.4 Emergency Drill ..................................................................................................................... 23

14 Fire Mitigation Measures ...................................................................................................... 23

14.1 Site Security .......................................................................................................................... 23

14.2 Hazard Management ............................................................................................................ 24

14.3 Bitumen Plant ....................................................................................................................... 25

14.4 Mobile Plant and Equipment ................................................................................................ 25

14.5 Assistance to DFES ................................................................................................................ 26

14.6 Site Compliance..................................................................................................................... 26

15 Fire Extinguishing Methods ................................................................................................... 26

15.1 Zone 1.................................................................................................................................... 26

15.2 Zone 2.................................................................................................................................... 27

16 Monitoring and Prevention of Fires Originating from Landfill .............................................. 27

16.1 Gas Composition Monitoring ................................................................................................ 27

16.2 Weather Monitoring ............................................................................................................. 27

16.3 Performance Indicators ........................................................................................................ 27

16.4 Database Management ......................................................................................................... 27

16.5 Performance Review ............................................................................................................. 28

16.6 Checklists .............................................................................................................................. 28

17 Emergency Contacts .............................................................................................................. 28

17.1 Department Responsible for each Zone ............................................................................... 29

17.2 Location of Fire Units ............................................................................................................ 29

17.3 Site Activity during Fire Ban .................................................................................................. 30

17.4 Total Fire Ban Exemption ...................................................................................................... 30

17.5 Notification ........................................................................................................................... 31

18 Reporting ............................................................................................................................... 31

18.1 Fire Mapping ......................................................................................................................... 31

18.2 Reporting Schedule ............................................................................................................... 31



19 References ............................................................................................................................. 31

20 Appendices ............................................................................................................................ 32

APPENDICES

Appendix A Fire Management Checklist .......................................................................................... 32

Appendix B Performance Criteria Compliance Checklist ................................................................. 37

TABLES

Table: 1 Fire Risk Ranking for Zones Identified ........................................................................... 16

Table: 2 Inspection of Fire Fighting Equipment .......................................................................... 22

Table: 3 Emergency Contacts...................................................................................................... 29

Table: 4 Zone Responsibility ....................................................................................................... 29

Table: 5 Location of Fire Units .................................................................................................... 30

FIGURES

Figure 1: Fire Triangle .................................................................................................................... 9

Figure 2: Topography of the area ................................................................................................ 13

Figure 3: Site Layout ..................................................................................................................... 14

Figure 4: Locations of nearest residences .................................................................................... 15

Figure 5: Fire Zones ...................................................................................................................... 17

Figure 6: Vancouver’s organisation structure .............................................................................. 21



ACRONYMS

AHD Australian Height Datum

BAL Bushfire Attack Level

BAL – 12.5 Classification of Bushfire Attack Level to be Low

BAL - 29 Classification of Bushfire Attack Level to be Medium

BAL – 40 Classification of Bushfire Attack Level to be High

CBFCO Chief Bush Fire Control Officer

DWER Department of Water and Environmental Regulation

DFES Department of Fire and Emergency Services

Facility Vancouver Waste Disposal Facility

HAZMAT Hazardous Materials

PPE Personal Protective Equipment

VBFB Volunteer Bush Fire Brigade



1 LANDFILL FIRES

Fires are a concern for the management of any landfill and have long been associated with open

dumps. Materials that are landfilled are generally a good fuel source for surface and subsurface fires

due to their high calorific values. Combustible materials such as paper, plastics, dry organics and

wood are the main fuels. The presence of oxygen during waste placement or the opportunity for

drawing of oxygen through the surface creates a suitable environment for combustion. The heat

generated during the decomposition of waste serves as the source of ignition and completes the

three elements of the ‘fire triangle’, Figure 1. It is therefore necessary to monitor, control and

prevent the occurrence of suitable conditions for generation of landfill fires. It is also necessary to

document how best to manage and limit the impact of a fire event.

Figure 1: Fire Triangle

Fires in landfills typically result from below standard operational practices, including where waste is

left uncovered at the end of the working day. Daily cover reduces the ingress of air into the waste

and promotes the onset of anaerobic conditions. It also isolates the waste from the surface and

reduces the potential for accidental or deliberate fires being started.

Fires have the potential to damage infrastructure, disrupt operations and cause threat to life and

release harmful substances such as dioxins into the environment. This document describes the fire

management guidelines and best practice management for the Vancouver Waste Disposal Facility.

Fire can also originate from the surrounding areas, particularly during dry and hot weather

conditions either naturally or due to deliberate lighting. This document provides a framework for fire

management and the protection of life and assets at the Vancouver Waste Disposal Facility and its

surrounding environment during an event of fire within or outside the landfill area.

2 VANCOUVER WASTE SERVICES

Vancouver Waste Services Pty Ltd is a private company that provides waste collection services within

the region and disposal of tyres and inert fill. The company also operates a composting facility and is

in the development stage of a waste to energy (WtE) facility to provide electricity to the region from

the combustion of tyres, forestry waste and potentially putrescible waste.



Contact details for Vancouver are as follows:

Postal Address Office Address

Vancouver Waste Services Pty Ltd 16 Anthony Street PO Box 508 ALBANY, WA 6331 ALBANY, WA 6331

3 LICENCE L9127/2018/1

The Vancouver Waste Disposal Facility operates under Department of Water and Environmental

Regulation (DWER) Licence number L7344/1998/10.

The Licence has the following Categories:

Category 12: Screening of Silica Sand;

Category 37: Char manufacturing premises;

Category 62: Solid waste facility;

Category 63: Class I inert landfill;

Category 64: Putrescible Landfill; and

Category 67A: Compost manufacturing and soil blending.

4 SITE USERS

Users of the Vancouver Waste Disposal Facility landfill, in most part, are company waste transfer

trucks from the Vancouver Waste Transfer Station in Albany. Other heavy trucks use the site for

delivery of greenwaste, removal of compost, char, asphalt and Silica sand.

5 LEGISLATION

The regulations and requirements related to this fire management plan are as follows:

5.1 BUSH FIRES ACT 1954

Regulates restrictions such as prohibited burning times, total fire bans, requirements for plant

equipment to contain fire extinguishers, suitable spark arrester and other restrictions.

5.2 LOCAL GOVERNMENT ACT

Implementation of terms and conditions in the approved Fire Management Plan by the Local

Government.

Key Contact

Martin Shuttleworth Director Phone: 0428 464 212 Email: [email protected]



5.3 ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION (UNAUTHORISED DISCHARGE) REGULATIONS

2004

These regulations make it an offence to discharge certain materials into the environment. The

discharge will be in the form of visible smoke from burning of certain materials.

5.4 ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION REGULATIONS 1987

Describes the disposal and storage of tyres, with regulations designed to minimise associated fire

risks.

5.5 FIRE BRIGADES ACT 1942 AND FIRE BRIGADES REGULATIONS 1943

Allows the fire authority to enter into an agreement with an owner or occupier of any premises for

the provision of the receiving, monitoring and testing of equipment.

5.6 CONSTRUCTION STANDARD

Australian Standard AS3959: Construction of buildings in bushfire prone areas, aids in construction of

buildings in bush fire-prone areas.

5.7 AUSTRALIAN STANDARD AS1851-2005 The objective of AS1851: Maintenance of fire protection systems and equipment, is to maximise the

reliability of fire protection systems and equipment such that the systems and equipment meet the

requirements of the relevant design, installation and commissioning standards and are likely to

continue to do so until the next scheduled activity.

6 OBJECTIVE

6.1 FIRE MANAGEMENT PLAN

The primary environmental objective is to ensure that the Vancouver Waste Services has the

capacity to adequately prevent/manage/arrest fires at any part of the site at Lot 3 and Lot 102

Mindijup Road, Palmdale. The capacity would include awareness of remedial action to be

undertaken by staff in the event of a fire. The objective is also to report the event of fire to

Vancouver Waste Services, Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES), and the Department

of Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER) as soon as a fire is considered that it may get out of

control.

6.2 DOCUMENT

The purpose of this document is to provide the Vancouver Waste Services with the fire management

strategy consistent with the legislation requirements mentioned above.

7 LOCATION

The Facility is located approximately 52 km north east of Albany on part of Lot 3 and part of Lot 102,

Mindijup Road, Palmdale, in the City of Albany. Lot 3 covers a total area of 77 hectares (ha) and Lot

102 covers a total area of 584 ha. This plan relates to the activities on site licenced by the DWER. The

area of the licenced portion of the site is approximately 252 ha. Access to the site is from Lot 3

Mindijup Road, Palmdale. Both Lots have facilities for various activities that include:



Putrescible landfill;

Inert tyre landfill;

Composting of greenwaste;

Char manufacturing;

Gravel pit;

Silica sand extraction;

Asphalt plant, and

Plantation timber.

Almost 50% of the site is covered with either natural vegetation or tree plantation with the

remainder cleared and grassed. This Fire Management Plan considers the entire operating area of

the site with regard to fire management.

8 LOCAL ENVIRONMENT

8.1 CLIMATE

The Bureau of Meteorology weather station (9500) located in Albany has recorded the following

historical data (1880 – current):

Mean Annual Rainfall: 931.5 mm

Mean Maximum Annual Temperature: 19.5 °C

Mean Minimum Annual Temperature: 11.7 °C:

8.2 TOPOGRAPHY

Topography throughout the site generally slopes downward in a north westerly direction. Maximum

elevation of the site is approximately 132 m Australian Height Datum (m AHD) which occurs along

the southern boundary. The lowest elevation occurs on the north western corner of Lot 102 and is at

a height of 115 m AHD (Figure 1).



Figure 2: Topography of the area

8.3 GEOLOGY

The geology beneath the site, in majority, is fine Silica sand over clay.

8.4 GROUNDWATER

Groundwater flows steadily from the south to the north at a depth of between 16 and 31 m below

ground level.

8.5 SURFACE WATER

There are three man-made dams and a leachate pond on site. The locations of these dams can be

seen in Figure 2. Two tributaries located on Lot 3 and Lot 102 flow towards the Kalgan River. The

Kalgan River is located 520 m to the west of the Lot 3 boundary and 1.7 km from the landfill area.

135 130

125 120

115

110

Kalgan River

Part Lot 102 Part Lot 3

140



Figure 3: Site Layout



8.6 SURROUNDING LAND USES

The Facility is surrounded by land consisting of agricultural land, plantation timber, sand extraction

and natural vegetation. The property north of the site supports blue gum plantation. The property to

the east is natural bush followed by grazing land. To the south is a sand extraction pit surrounded by

natural vegetation. To the west is the Kalgan River, grazing and tree plantations.

8.7 CLOSEST RESIDENCE AND BUFFER DISTANCE

The nearest residence is located approximately 1.6 km south east of the proposed landfill footprint

within the Mindijup Silica Sand Mine premises. Three other residences are located more than 1.7 km

from the landfill footprint.

Figure 4: Locations of nearest residences

8.8 FLORA Flora on the site includes a mix of natural bush, bluegum plantation and grassland. There are areas

of complete stripping; these areas are used for sand extraction.

9 SITE RISK ASSESSMENT

Fire in a landfill has the potential to harm site users, damage supporting infrastructure, disrupt

operations, cause environmental emissions and also damage the landfill lining system, which may

result in discharge of contaminated water into the environment from the base of the landfill. Escape

of fire beyond the landfill footprint has the potential to cause damage to neighbouring land,



infrastructure and agricultural crops. The result would be loss of property, flora, fauna, air, soil and

water pollution and threat to human life.

The risk assessment carried out has divided the site into two distinct zones for better management

of risk during a fire. Refer Figure 5. The Bush Fire Protection Guidelines – Edition 2, May 2010, State

of Western Australia has been used to determine the hazard ratings of the two zones.

9.1 ZONE 1

Zone 1 includes waste that is covered daily and low woodland to a height of 10 m. As there are no

residential, although there are commercial buildings in Zone 1, and the area is predominantly flat.

Table 1 and Table 2 of the Guideline classifies the Zone 1 areas as Bush Fire Attack Level BAL-12.5.

Zone 1 is shown as ‘red’ on Figure 5. Zone 1 covers two areas of the site and includes bluegum

plantation, natural bush, both the putrescible and inert landfills, composting area, char plant and

asphalt plant. Zone 1 has a combined area of 182 ha. The source of fuel for fire will be:

Deposited putrescible waste materials;

Uncontained landfill gas;

Used vehicle tyres;

Eucalyptus trees and tree plantations;

Plantation waste;

Greenwaste piles;

Composting piles;

Bitumen in tanks; and

Timber at the char plant.

9.2 ZONE 2

Zone 2 is shown as ‘blue’ on Figure 5. Zone 2 covers two areas totalling 70 ha and includes grassland

and sand extraction pits. The fuel source for Zone 2 will be pasture grass. The areas marked as Zone

2 are grassland in nature. Table 1 of the Guideline classifies Zone 2 as Grassland. Grassland is not

included in Table 2 of the Guideline. Zone 2 is classified as BAL-12.5 and will require similar

management as Zone 1.

9.3 ZONE FIRE RISK RATING

The fire management zones have been ranked from 1 to 3 based on the hazard rating determined

above. Rank 1 has low risk of fire and Rank 3 has extreme risk of fire.

Table: 1 Fire Risk Ranking for Zones Identified

ZONE FIRE MANAGEMENT ZONE RANKING

1 Landfill Footprint, bush and facilities 2

2 Grassland and sand extraction 1



Figure 5: Fire Zones



10 FIRE MANAGEMENT

There are many different processes and activities on the site from which fire may result:

Fire in the landfill - waste or gas;

Fire in a waste haulage vehicle;

Fire involving site plant and equipment;

Fire in the greenwaste;

Fire in the treed areas; and

Grass/scrub fire inside the site boundary.

Various procedures are in place to prevent fires on site. These procedures are focused on visual

inspection of areas where fires may be a hazard, general housekeeping to minimise the risk of fire,

training of personnel and provision of adequate fire fighting equipment.

The landfill facility will contain hazardous materials (HAZMAT) such as flammable bitumen and

landfill gas containing combustible methane, hence fire in a landfill can be considered to require a

HAZMAT appropriate response.

10.1 FIRE MANAGEMENT NOTICE 2017 -2018

Fire Management Notice 2017 -2018 by the City of Albany requires for properties of more than

4,000 m2 to do the following.

10.1.1 Fire Breaks

Perimeter fire breaks

Perimeter fire breaks are to be located within 20 m of the property boundary and must be 3 m wide

with 4 m vertical clearance. The fire break must be ploughed, cultivated, scarified, chemically

sprayed, slashed or otherwise cleared to a maximum vegetation height of 50 mm.

Any overhanging branches, trees or shrubs must be cleared to a vertical height of 4 m over the

designated fire break.

Fire breaks longer than 400 m should include a fire appliance turning area of at least 10 m diameter

at appropriate locations to allow egress from a property.

Fire breaks must be maintained from November 1 to April 30 inclusive in the North East sector and

December 1 to April 30 in the South West sector (or as otherwise gazetted).

Strategic Fire Breaks

Landowners or occupiers who have a strategic fire break on their property must maintain this fire

break. Strategic fire breaks do not replace the requirement for individual perimeter fire breaks

unless specified in a Bushfire Management Plan.

Plantations

All plantation, regeneration and conservation lots must comply with the conditions detailed in the

DFES Plantation Fire Protection Guidelines unless a variation has been granted by the City of Albany.



Additional Requirements

Owners of plantation and regeneration Lots must:

Provide a key to access gates to their local Bush Fire Brigade;

Provide a red PVC container at entry points with maps showing water points, tracks and

contact details;

Install perimeter fire breaks 10 m wide 4 m vertical clearance;

Ensure the property is broken into compartments not exceeding 250 ha in area and

separated by internal fire breaks 6 m wide and with a 4 m vertical clearance; and

Install a 15 m mineral earth break under all power lines.

Fuel Loads

Fuel loads refers to the amount of flammable material available for a fire to burn. Fuel loads are to

be maintained at or below 8 tonnes per ha. This is equal to 8 handfuls of flammable material per m2.

Low fuel loads can be achieved by the following:

Slashing grasses to a height not exceeding 50mm; or

Conducting parkland clearing, which is the removal of understorey to a maximum height of

50 mm but leaving trees in place; or

Hazard reduction burning.

Specific Hazards

Fire breaks must be constructed around the following hazards, if they are located on your property:

Green power domes –1 m fire break;

Wood heaps and hay stacks – 3 m fire break;

Fuel storage areas – 3 m fire break;

Garden refuse piles – 3 m fire break; and

Power poles - 1.5 m fire break.

Agricultural Land

The requirements for cropping and agricultural land are:

Cropping paddocks must be broken into compartments not exceeding 250ha in area each

separated by internal fire breaks;

During machinery operations, including harvesting, a fully operational fire fighting unit with

a minimum water capacity of 400 L, fire fighting pump and hose is to be located in the

paddock being harvested; and

During restricted and prohibited burning times, all harvesting machinery must carry a fire

extinguisher.



Fire Bans

Harvesting & Machinery Operations

During restricted and prohibited burning times, all harvesting machinery must carry a fire

extinguisher.

At all times, a fully operational fire fighting unit is to be located in the paddock being harvested.

Harvest and Vehicle Movement Bans

The City of Albany may impose Harvest and/or Vehicle Movement Bans when adverse fire weather

conditions are experienced.

During harvest bans all harvesting operations must immediately cease. No harvesting is permitted

on Christmas Day.

A vehicle movement ban means no internal combustion powered vehicles are to be driven in

paddocks or bush areas and ‘hot work’ such as welding or grinding is not to be undertaken in the

open air.

All bans are broadcast via ABC local radio at 10:05 am, 11.05 am, 12:35 pm and 2:05 pm.

Total Fire Ban

During a Total Fire Ban, the lighting of any fire in the open air is prohibited. This includes all open

cooking and camping fires and incinerators. It also includes ‘hot work’ such as welding, grinding and

soldering or gas cutting.

Exemptions may be available by contacting DFES at www.dfes.wa.gov.au .

11 FIRE MANAGEMENT ASSETS

11.1 ACCESS ROUTES

One access point with fire access gates and one main entry gate are available for access to the

Facility. The main site access is at Mindijup Road. The nearest major road is Palmdale Road

approximately 6.2 km east of the site entry. The main site entry is on the eastern end of Lot 3. There

is a second entry further to the west along Mindijup Road, Refer Figure 3. Sufficient turn around

areas for large fire fighting plant and equipment will be available within the site.

All gates will be locked at all times when the site is unattended to prevent vandalism and

unauthorised entry. DFES and the VBFB will be issued with a master key to all access gates which is

to be used in the event of an emergency. All fire access gates are a minimum 3.6 m wide and

labelled as “Fire Access Only – No Public Access.” The main gate will be sign posted as “Main Entry”.

The access points and the emergency contact numbers are available within a weatherproof cylinder

attached to a post located outside the main gate.



11.2 SITE INFRASTRUCTURE

The locations of the fire fighting equipment are available on each item of mobile plant, light vehicles,

office and stationary infrastructure. The weatherproof cylinder at the main gate contains maps of

the site and surrounds and a copy of the site HAZMAT materials register.

11.2.1 Water Truck

A water truck is available for use in fire fighting. The water truck has a capacity of 14,000 L. A 50 mm

diameter heavy duty hose is used for coupling the water truck to the pumps at the dams. The water

truck is fitted with a pump for pressurised release of water for fire fighting.

11.2.2 Quick Response Fire Unit

One quick response fire unit, comprising a minimum of 1,000 L of water, with an operational pump

and 20 m of 19 mm diameter hose (minimum), capable of delivering water through an adjustable

nozzle, is on site during times of high fire risk.

11.2.3 Fire Extinguishers

Portable fire extinguishers are provided at the office, mobile plant and equipment, including

personnel vehicles.

12 ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE

The Vancouver Waste Services undertakes the day to day management and operation of the various

activities at the site. Vancouver Waste Services management structure is shown in Figure 6.

Figure 6: Vancouver’s organisation structure

The General Manager is responsible for ensuring that all work relating to the site activities are

carried out in accordance with the Licence, operational plans and company policies.

The Site Supervisor has the overall responsibility for the strategic day to day planning and

management of site.

Plant Operators duties include operation of heavy equipment.

Plant operators

General Manager


Site Supervisor



13 RESPONSE TO FIRE

Following are the responsibilities and actions required by each staff member in the event of a fire.

The General Manager will ensure that all fire fighting equipment is maintained and

inspected on a regular basis, in accordance with current legislation, regulation and

Australian Standards;

The Site Supervisor will contact the General Manager in the first instance for direction in an

event of fire or other emergency;

The Site Supervisor will assume control of all actions and decisions until the arrival of the

General Manager;

If the General Manager is not immediately contactable and the fire is considered potentially

uncontrollable the Site Supervisor will contact the DFES Communication Centre by

telephoning 000;

In the instance of HAZMAT incident the General Manager or Site Supervisor will liaise with

the City of Albany Chief Bush Fire Control Officer (CBFCO) and/or DFES to arrange for supply

of plant or equipment as required during an event of a HAZMAT fire; and

Should the facility be closed due to the fire, the General Manager, in conjunction with the

CBFCO, DFES and the DWER, will decide when the facility is to be re-opened.

The action items and frequency of inspection is given Table 2 below.

Table: 2 Inspection of Fire Fighting Equipment

ACTION ITEM FREQUENCY

Inspection of fire extinguishers. Biannual or after use

Inspection and maintenance of other fire fighting equipment. Biannual or after use

Renewal of Contract for inspection and testing of fire extinguishers.

At completion of service contract

13.1 INTERNAL INCIDENT COMMAND STRUCTURE

During a fire or any other risk that arises, the General Manager is to be made aware of the nature

and scope of the emergency and shall delegate duties for the effective control and direction of

occupants.

The Site Supervisor shall act in the capacity of General Manager in an emergency during times when

the General Manager is not absent. The key person is fully conversant with the procedures and

executes the emergency response until the return of the General Manager or arrival of any

emergency services.

Any person that discovers a fire must advise the General Manager or Site Supervisor immediately.

No action to tackle the fire must be taken without notifying another person, unless individual safety

is at risk.



If General Manager is not immediately contactable and the fire is considered potentially

uncontrollable the Site Supervisor shall contact the CBFCO and/or DFES. The General Manager will

provide all assistance to DFES in implementing the response during an event of fire.

13.2 PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT

The minimum level of personal protective equipment (PPE) required for the site in response to a fire

is steel capped boots and safety vests, gloves, hard hats and respiratory devices will be available at

the site. Dust masks will be available for protection from nuisance dust. Half face air purifying

respirators fitted with Class P2 cartridges in accordance with AS/NZS 1716 – Respiratory protective

devices will be available for protection against mechanical and thermally generated particulates. The

minimum PPE to be worn during an event of fire will be listed and displayed within the office and

lunch room informing the staff about the stored location.

13.3 INDUCTION

All new employees will be trained in the site’s emergency response procedures during the induction

process, including the location of the second emergency gate, contacts list and incident notification

procedures.

13.4 EMERGENCY DRILL

At least annually, an emergency drill will be undertaken at the site to test and evaluate compliance

against the emergency procedures and identify areas where further training is required and/or

changes to the emergency procedures is required. The implementation of the drill is the

responsibility of the General Manager and the assessment of the drill is to be recorded in an

appropriate record system. Site induction will also be offered to Volunteer Bush Fire Brigade (VBFB)

annually.

14 FIRE MITIGATION MEASURES

The DWER and CBFCO will be notified of any uncontrolled event of fire in any of the zones. The

information will contain:

Time of fire;

Location of fire;

Nature of fire;

Any mitigation measures adopted; and

Information about any affected staff or property.

14.1 SITE SECURITY

Site security measures include:

The premises is securely fenced and site access gates closed and locked to deter entry of

unauthorised persons;

A system is in place for checking people in and out, i.e. radio contact with Site supervisor;

When the site is unmanned, the access gates will be locked;



The active area of the landfill area is fenced with a security fence and fitted with lockable

gates to prevent unauthorised access and to control windblown litter and vermin;

Inspection of fencing is carried out on a monthly basis to identify damage which is to be

rectified at the earliest convenience;

Only authorised site management personnel, DFES and the VBFB will have keys to the site

after operating hours;

Signs are displayed to show hazardous areas and risks of trespassing; and

Emergency access gates are labelled.

14.2 HAZARD MANAGEMENT


Training to be provided to staff to identify risk of fire, operate fire fighting equipment and

select the most appropriate equipment to be utilised to extinguish a particular type of fire;

Plant operators ensure any fire is recognised quickly, allowing prompt action to extinguish it;

Equipment fire suppression systems serviced and inspected regularly and/or as required;

Waste is covered with suitable cover material on a daily basis to ensure that the risk of fire

within the waste mass is minimised;

Flammable goods are not permitted on the site without approval from the DWER and

Vancouver Waste Services;

Storage of flammable goods at the site will require approval from the General Manager and

implementation of appropriate safety procedures;

Smoking is not permitted at the Vancouver Mindijup site; smoking area is outside the main

gate;

Office and lunch room are kept clean and tidy, with waste bins emptied on a regular basis;

All chemicals are clearly labelled and affixed with a placard (where required);

HAZMAT location and manifest details will be kept at site office and the emergency

information cylinder located at the main gate;

Hot work (e.g. oxy-acetylene cutting and welding) will only take place in areas away from

flammable materials and permits must be issued by the General Manager and/or authorised

personnel to conduct this work;

Hot work will only be undertaken by trained and competent personnel;

Hot work will not be undertaken on days of total fire ban;

Fire extinguishers will be serviced and inspected on a six-monthly basis or more frequently if

required;

Any spillage of flammable liquid or material will be cleared up immediately;

Water truck and other equipment for fire fighting are available onsite. Equipment location is

clearly documented and signposted;

With regard to the two landfills, where surface cracking is observed or subterranean

combustion is suspected in the landfill, the area is to be barricaded off to stop entry until the

area has been assessed by the General Manager, and, if necessary, emergency services;

If it is safe to do so, any equipment close to the fire will be moved away, along with any

other flammable materials;

The power supply will be switched off if there is a significant risk of electrical fire. The

General Manager will direct plant operators as to the best approach for individual incidents;



Items of plant and equipment will be moved to a safe distance away from the affected area;

and

Unauthorised personnel and visitors must not enter the site during a fire event, unless

instructed and accompanied by emergency services or onsite personnel and with the

appropriate PPE.

14.3 BITUMEN PLANT

Preventative measures for the bitumen storage area include:

Areas around the tanks will be kept clean and free of grass;

No other potentially flammable materials or incompatible substances be stored near the

bitumen tanks;

Any spills of bitumen, oil or fuel are cleaned up immediately;

All storage tanks are clearly labelled with the appropriate placards (where required);

HAZMAT list is to be updated regularly representing the type of hydrocarbon liquids and

quantity stored onsite at a given point of time; and

All electricity and fuel lines must have the option to be switched off.

Action to be undertaken in the bitumen storage area during an event of fire:

Any fire in the bitumen storage area is to be communicated immediately to the General

Manager;

All electricity and delivery lines will be switched off/isolated if possible;

All personnel will keep well clear of the area until given the all clear by the General Manager;

Appropriate fire fighting measures will be undertaken in consultation with CBFCO or DFES

during an uncontrolled fire; and

A Record of the details of any such incident shall be maintained in a register describing the

source of the fire, the reason for the fire, the action taken and the mitigation measure

undertaken.

14.4 MOBILE PLANT AND EQUIPMENT

Preventative measures for plant and equipment include:

In the event of a fire, plant and equipment will be moved away from the affected area;

All plant is to be cleaned and maintained regularly to avoid the build-up of waste or other

material;

All belly plates and other more inaccessible areas on landfill plant will be checked regularly

and cleaned out at each service or more frequently if required;

Exhaust systems and spark arrestors of the plant and equipment are to be maintained

properly;

Plant and equipment is to be moved away from the fire area and any other potential fire

areas when not in use and outside of facility operating hours; and

Plant Operators are to check equipment and surroundings throughout their shift to ensure

that no fires or hazards are imminent.

Action to be undertaken for a fire in plant and equipment includes:



The operator is to leave the machine as soon as possible, only staying to shut the equipment

down if safe to do so, where possible turning off the battery isolator switch;

The operator will notify the General Manager on the status of the plant or equipment when

left during an event of fire; and

The plant or equipment will be inspected for any faults that may have occurred during the

fire and operated only after the fault is rectified and deemed safe.

14.5 ASSISTANCE TO DFES

The fire fighting resources at the site will be made available to the CBFCO, DFES and others in

consultation with the General Manager to assist in fighting fires outside the active areas of the site.

Providing manpower for fire fighting will be subject to the staff available onsite and their willingness

to participate in fire fighting activities.

14.6 SITE COMPLIANCE

The Vancouver site will require staff and users to adhere to best measures to prevent fire:

Compliance with the City of Albany Fire Management Notice 2017-2018;

Education of the staff and users of the waste facility in identifying the risk of fire,

encouraging communicating with management for necessary action to reduce the risk;

The facility will be a strictly non-smoking premises;

The plant and machinery used for operation will be parked away from fire risk areas;

Without prior approval from the City of Albany, plant, equipment and machinery will not be

operated within Zone 1 or Zone 2 during “very high” fire danger days, harvest and

movement of vehicles bans and total fire bans as imposed by DFES;

Perimeter firebreaks will be completed by November 1 of every year;

Firebreaks and fire access roads will be maintained for emergency services to gain access to

the property;

Dry debris will be cleared from the firebreak within the perimeter fences in adherence with

the City of Albany Fire Management Notice 2017-2018; and

DFES or the CBFCO will be notified of any hazard spotted outside the site boundary.

15 FIRE EXTINGUISHING METHODS

Several different extinguishing methods can be adopted to extinguish fire. The method to be utilised

will depend on the type of fire, the location of the fire, fire accessibility and the intensity of the fire.

The proposed fire extinguishing methods for the different fire management zones are described

below.

The area downwind of the fire will be evacuated of all persons. The General Manager will be notified

of any fire at the site. The CBFCO, DFES and the VBFB will be notified should a fire at the site become

uncontrollable.

15.1 ZONE 1

With regard to landfill fires and if upon excavation the landfill fire appears to be well established and

emanating from deep within the landfill mass, the landfill vents (smoke plumes) will be covered with

soil to limit oxygen availability to the fire. A water based fire retardant will be added to the water in

the water truck, hot spots excavated and the landfill mass saturated with fire retardant. If the fire is



well established it may be necessary to drill bore holes into the landfill to allow the fire retardant to

be injected into the landfill mass. Landfills burning below the surface create large voids within the

landfill rendering the surface of the landfill susceptible to subsidence and can potentially become

unsafe. Any initial fire fighting activities undertaken on the landfill area shall be coordinated by the

General Manager or DFES.

Any fire in or around the lined leachate dam will be controlled using the water based fire retardant

described above.

Fire in the treed areas will be extinguished by cutting fire breaks with heavy equipment and water

delivered from water trucks. Embers carried in front of the fire start spot fires. Vancouver staff shall

not move in front of the fire to extinguish spot fires. If the fire is uncontrollable the area in front of

the fire shall be evacuated and no personnel shall enter the area.

15.2 ZONE 2

For grassed areas beating, water and fire breaks will be used to extinguish the fire. If the fire is

within infrastructure, such as buildings and plant, then fire extinguishers shall be used in the first

instance.

16 MONITORING AND PREVENTION OF FIRES ORIGINATING FROM LANDFILL

16.1 GAS COMPOSITION MONITORING

Putrescible waste buried in the landfill produces methane gas during decomposition. Landfill gas

emitted from decomposing waste can pool in areas around the landfill. High risk areas are within the

leachate wells, depressions, table drains, culverts and valleys in the topography. Landfill gas in high

quantities is extremely explosive due to the high Methane concentration. This poses a serious health

risk in the form of asphyxiation. Monitoring of gas composition can provide useful data for the

management of fire risk within the landfill and the necessary precautions to adopt during an event

of fire.

In the case of a suspected gas emergency during normal operations on the landfill, any personnel

on-site that experiences nausea or dizziness should contact the Site Supervisor immediately.

16.2 WEATHER MONITORING

The weather forecast will be monitored daily and necessary precautions such as more frequent

patrolling of firebreaks, testing of fire equipment readiness and wetting down of the landfill surface

will be adopted when extreme weather conditions have been predicted.

16.3 PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

The frequency in occurrence of fire in the identified fire management zones will be a direct

indication of fire prevention and fire fighting performance. Performance monitoring will allow

assessment of adequacy for existing firebreaks, precautionary measures and the fire fighting

equipment.

16.4 DATABASE MANAGEMENT

All fire events will be recorded and will contain at least the following information:

Time and date of fire;



Weather conditions prevailing during the event of fire (temperature, wind speed and

direction, rainfall etc.);

Any variations from the documented precautionary measures;

Fire fighting measures and strategy adopted;

Suitability and success of fire fighting measures; and

Time taken to arrest the fire.

The data will form the basis of performance indicators and the reviewing of fire management

procedures for continuous improvement.

16.5 PERFORMANCE REVIEW

The performance indicators will be the focus of the review of the Fire Management Plan after a fire

event. The Fire Management Plan will also be reviewed annually and will be modified to reflect the

current best practice strategy in all the fire management zones identified.

16.6 CHECKLISTS

A checklist has been prepared for monitoring the fire risk at the site, Appendix A. A performance

criteria compliance checklist adapted from the Annual Compliance Checklist for Performance Criteria

and Acceptable Solutions as detailed in Appendix 4 of the Bush Fire Protection Guideline has been

included as Appendix B. The above checklists will be reviewed every six months and before each

summer season to ensure they are representative of current site layout and conditions.

17 EMERGENCY CONTACTS

The emergency contact numbers will be available, along with a fire zone map, from within the

weatherproof emergency information cylinder located at the main gate. Emergency contact

numbers will also be displayed on a sign at both the main gate to the facility and the office. All initial

calls will be made through 000 or State Emergency Services 132 500.



Table: 3 Emergency Contacts

CONTACT NUMBER 1

Ambulance 000

State Emergency Services - Albany 9841 2400

State Emergency Services – Mt Barker 0439 936 143

Volunteer Bush Fire Brigade – South Coast 0407 944 998

Volunteer Bush Fire Brigade – Kalgan 0419 919 949

Volunteer Fire Control Officer 9956 6600

Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) 000 or 132 500

Fire Weather Hotline 1800 709 355

General Manager – Vancouver Waste Disposal Facility

0428 464 212

Southern Regional Medical Centre 9845 9000

Police 000

Vancouver Waste Services 9845 7688

Chief Bushfire Control Officer – City of Albany 0439217692

City of Albany 6280 3000

Western Power 13 13 51

17.1 DEPARTMENT RESPONSIBLE FOR EACH ZONE

The fire fighting department responsible for the individual zones based on the risk assessment and

capability of fire fighting department is given below in Table 4.

Table: 4 Zone Responsibility

ZONES DEPARTMENT

Zone 1 DFES/VBFB

Zone 2 DFES / VBFB

17.2 LOCATION OF FIRE UNITS

The location of fire units nearest to the site is given below in Table 5. It provides an approximate

time for a fire fighting unit to reach the site during an emergency.



Table: 5 Location of Fire Units

Fire Units Location Approximate Distance (km)

Approximate time to reach Site (mins)

State Emergency Services - Albany 42 36

Volunteer Bush Fire Brigade – South Coast 48 60

Volunteer Bush Fire Brigade – Mt Barker 50 64

17.3 SITE ACTIVITY DURING FIRE BAN

The operation of the site during days declared as Total Fire Ban under Bush Fires Act 1954 and/or

ban on harvesting and the movement of vehicles in paddocks by DFES will be undertaken with strict

adherence to the following:

Only work which cannot reasonably be postponed to a time with safer weather conditions

will be undertaken;

Weather conditions are to be continually assessed and warnings observed;

All firebreaks are to be maintained in accordance with the Vancouver Waste Services

firebreak order;

One person is to undertake the role of “fire spotter” for the duration of the Total Fire Ban or

ban on harvesting and the movement of vehicles in paddocks period;

One quick response fire unit, comprising a minimum of 1,000 L of water, with an operational

pump and 20 m of 19 mm diameter hose (minimum), capable of delivering water through an

adjustable nozzle, to be located in close proximity to the site of any work;

One water truck of at least 14,000 L fitted with 200 L foam injection systems with remote

control cannon to available at all times at the waste facility;

Access maintained to all dams for fire fighting trucks;

All vehicles and stationary motors are to be inspected prior to leaving any formed road to

ensure that the exhaust systems are in a sound condition;

All vehicles and stationary motors are to be refuelled on clear ground and in an appropriate

method to avoid the release of static electricity;

The entrance road and access to the work areas is to be regularly checked to ensure that no

windblown vegetation can come into contact with exhaust or catalytic converters fitted to

any vehicle;

The vehicles and plant are to be sited/parked in areas free from vegetation and combustible

material; and

At least two personnel are to remain at the work site for at least thirty minutes after the

works have been completed to ensure the site remains safe and the site is to be fully

inspected for any potential fire activity prior to their departure.

17.4 TOTAL FIRE BAN EXEMPTION An application will be made to DFES for exception to the ban on vehicle movement from entering

and leaving the site with regard to landfill activities. The exemption will allow for the movement of



vehicles into Zone 1 for the placement, compaction and covering of waste and the management of

the active landfill area.

17.5 NOTIFICATION

When site operations are undertaken on days of Total Fire Ban or Harvesting and/or Total Vehicle

Movement Ban the CBFCO from the City of Albany and DFES are to be notified on the day and prior

to the work commencing.

18 REPORTING

18.1 FIRE MAPPING

The extent and location of fires occurring in and around the site and landfill footprint will be mapped

and updated annually. This will provide a valuable reference resource when assessing the fire

management zones and reviewing this Fire Management Plan.

18.2 REPORTING SCHEDULE

Any risk of fire or hazard identified within Zones 1 and 2 will be reported as soon as possible to the

General Manager for appropriate risk mitigation.

If a fire is discovered and determined to be too significant to extinguish using on site resources

alone, the General Manager, or in the General Manager’s absence the Site Supervisor, will telephone

000, DFES and the CBFCO.

Post fire, the Site Supervisor and General Manager will assist with de-briefs to relevant authorities.

Vancouver Waste Services will annually report on all events of fire to the DWER, DFES and other

authorities as described in the site approvals or licencing conditions. The report will contain both fire

mapping and the fire event database described herein.

19 REFERENCES

Fire Management Notice 2017 – 2018. City of Albany

Australian Standard AS/NZS 1716 – Respiratory protective devices

Australian Standard AS1851-2005 – Maintenance of fire protection systems and equipment by

Standards Australia

Australian Standard AS 3959 – Construction of buildings in bushfire prone areas, aids in construction

of buildings in bush fire-prone areas by Standards Australia

Bush Fires Act 1954. State of Western Australia

Environmental Protection (Unauthorised Discharge) Regulations 2004, Western Australia

Environmental Protection Regulations 1987, Western Australia



Fire Brigades Act 1942, State Government of Western Australia

Fire Brigades Regulations 1943, Western Australia

Local Government Act 1995, Department of Local Government, Government of Western Australia

Planning for Bush Fire Protection Guidelines – Edition 2 May 2010 by WA Planning Commission, FESA

and Department of Planning Western Australia

Guidelines for Planning in Bush Fire Prone Areas, Version 1.3, December 2017. DFES

20 APPENDICES

Appendix A Fire Management Checklist

VANCOUVER WASTE DISPOSAL FACILITY FIRE MANAGEMENT CHECKLIST

1

CARRIED OUT BY DATE

SIGNATURE

Zone 1 – Landfill Footprint Yes No

Stockpile of earth is available close to the tipping face

Heavy equipment are available to move earth

All waste, apart from waste received that day, is adequately covered

Landfill areas that have not yet been capped do not have any waste exposed

Temporary litter screens, litter traps and litter fences are free of litter

Stormwater drains, depressions and culverts are free of litter

Grass around the site is cut or adequately maintained

Emergency access gates to landfill footprint are unobstructed and maintained

All equipment is maintained periodically

Fire extinguishers on mobile plant are certified and within test expiry dates

Automatic fire suppression equipment on mobile plant (where fitted) are in good condition and in test expiry dates

All necessary precautions against occurrences of fire are carried out

Zone 1 – Compost Facility Yes No

Stockpiles of greenwaste and compost are watered down

Plant and machinery used for operation parked at least 20 m from windrows, stockpiles and other high fire risk areas

Access roads in the facility are clear and free of debris


2

Zone 1 – Office, Char Plant and Asphalt Plant Yes No

Any windblown debris from the landfill is removed from the area

Plant and machinery used for operation will be parked at least 20 m from bush and other high fire risk areas

Fire breaks within the perimeter fences are cleared of any debris

Fire access routes are maintained and free from obstruction

Work place is clean and orderly

Emergency exit signs on buildings properly illuminated

Fire extinguishers are visible and accessible

Fire extinguishers are certified and within test expiry dates

Emergency exits are free of obstruction

The access roads to office/buildings are clear and unobstructed

Adequate supply of water available


All flammable materials are stored appropriately

Emergency contact numbers are displayed, and current, at both the main gate to the site and at the landfill entry

Induction training for new employees are carried out

Staff are educated with fire prevention and extinguishment procedures

Emergency evacuation plan is known to all staff

Visitors are informed of evacuation procedures

Necessary PPE is available on site


3

Zone 1 – Treed Areas Yes No

Any windblown debris from the landfill is removed from the surrounding bush and perimeter fences




Any fire hazard is reported to the office and actioned


4

Zone 2 – Grassland and sand excavation areas Yes No

Any windblown debris from the landfill is removed from the area, check low lying areas for litter




Clear access available to all dams for fire fighting truck assess

Work place is clean and orderly

Emergency exit signs properly illuminated

Fire alarms and fire extinguishers are visible and accessible

Fire extinguishers are certified and within test expiry dates

Emergency exits are free of obstruction

The access roads to office/buildings are clear and unobstructed


All flammable materials are stored appropriately

Grass is cut and area is free of litter

COMMENTS



Appendix B Performance Criteria Compliance Checklist

Performance Criteria Compliance Checklist – Vancouver Waste Disposal Facility



Annual Compliance Checklist

for

Performance Criteria and Acceptable Solutions

in Accordance with

Appendix 4 of the Bush Fire Protection Guideline

Date: July 25, 2018



Element 1: Location

A1.1: The subdivision/development is located on land that is not subject to either an extreme bush fire hazard land classification or requires construction standards to BAL-40 or BAL-FZ.

Does the proposal comply with the performance criteria by applying acceptable solution A1.1?

Yes No

Element 2: Vehicular Access

A2.1: Two different vehicular access routes, both of which connect to the public road network, are available to all residents/the public at all times. Does the proposal comply with the performance criteria by applying acceptable solution A2.1?

Yes No

A2.2: Public roads meet the following requirements:

minimum trafficable surface: 6 metres horizontal clearance: 6 metres vertical clearance: 4 metres maximum grades: 1 in 8 maximum grade over <50 metres: 1 in 5 maximum average grade: 1 in 7 minimum weight capacity: 15 tonnes maximum crossfall: 1 in 33 curves minimum inner radius: 12 metres


Yes No

A2.3: Where used, however, cul-de-sac standards are to be as follows:

maximum length: 200 metres (if emergency access is provided between cul-de-sac heads maximum length can be increased to 600 metres provided no more than 8 lots are serviced)

minimum trafficable surface: 6 metres horizontal clearance: 6 metres



maximum grades: 1 in 8 maximum grade over <50 metres: 1 in 5 maximum average grade: 1 in 7 minimum weight capacity: 15 tonnes maximum crossfall: 1 in 33 curves minimum inner radius: 12 metres as per turn around area requirements

– including 21 metre diameter head.


Yes No N/A

A2.4 Battle axe access legs meet the following requirements:

maximum length: 600 metres minimum width: 6 metres minimum trafficable surface: 4 metres horizontal clearance: 6 metres vertical clearance: 4 metres maximum grades: 1 in 8 maximum grade over <50 metres: 1 in 5 maximum average grade: 1 in 7 minimum weight capacity: 15 tonnes maximum crossfall: 1 in 33 curves minimum inner radius: 12 metres.


Yes No N/A

A2.5 Constructed private driveways meet the following requirements:

required where house site is more than 50 metres from a public road minimum trafficable surface: 4 metres horizontal clearance: 6 metres vertical clearance: 4 metres maximum grades: 1 in 8 maximum grade over <50 metres: 1 in 5 maximum average grade: 1 in 7 minimum weight capacity: 15 tonnes maximum crossfall: 1 in 33 curves minimum inner radius: 12 metres passing bays: every 200 metres with a minimum length of 20 metres and a

minimum width of 2 metres (i.e. the combined width of the passing bay and constructed private driveway to be minimum 6 metres)

turn around areas designed to accommodate 3.4 fire appliances and to enable them to turn around safely: every 500 metres and within 50 metres of a house.




Yes No

A2.6: Emergency access ways, providing alternative links to public roads during emergencies meet the following requirements:

minimum trafficable surface: 6 metres horizontal clearance: 6 metres vertical clearance: 4 metres maximum grades: 1 in 8 maximum grade over <50 metres: 1 in 5 maximum average grade: 1 in 7 minimum weight capacity: 15 tonnes maximum crossfall: 1 in 33 curves minimum inner radius: 12 metres must be signposted.


Yes No

A2.7: Fire services access routes, providing links between public road networks for fire fighting purposes, meet the following requirements:

surface: all weather dead end: not permitted minimum trafficable surface: 6 metres horizontal clearance: 6 metres vertical clearance: 4 metres maximum grades: 1 in 7 maximum grade over <50 metres: 1 in 4 maximum average grade: 1 in 5 minimum weight capacity: 15 tonnes maximum crossfall: 1 in 33 curves minimum inner radius: 12 metres turn around areas designed to accommodate 3.4 appliances and to enable

them to turn around safely: every 500 metres erosion control measures and long term maintenance arrangements in place access to public road network: every 1000 metres allow for two way traffic.




Yes No

A2.8 All gates used to restrict traffic on emergency access ways and fire service access routes meet the following requirements:

minimum width 3.6 metres design and construction: to be approved by relevant local government emergency access way gates: must not be locked fire service access route gates: may be locked but only with a common key

that is available to local fire service personnel Signposted.


Yes No

A2.9 Firebreak widths Lots greater than 0.5 hectares must have an internal perimeter firebreak of a minimum 3 metres width. Does the proposal comply with the performance criteria by applying acceptable solution A2.9?

Yes No

A2.10 Signs are erected where emergency access ways and fire services access routes adjoin public roads, and meet the following requirements:

minimum height above ground: 0.9 metres design and construction: to be approved by relevant local government lettering height: 100 millimetres to display the following wording (as appropriate):‘Fire Service Access – No

Public Access’ or ‘Emergency Access Only’. Does the proposal comply with the performance criteria by applying acceptable solution A2.10?

Yes No

Appropriate sign posts will be installed prior to commencement of operation.



Element 3: Water

A3.1: The development is provided with a reticulated water supply, together with fire hydrants, in accordance with the specifications of the relevant water supply authority and FESA. Does the proposal comply with the performance criteria by applying acceptable solution A3.1?

Yes No N/A

A3.2: Water tanks with a hydrant or standpipe are provided and meet the following requirements:

volume: 50,000 litres per tank ratio of tanks to lots: 1 tank per 25 lots (or part thereof) tank location: tanks are located to allow a 2.4 appliance to achieve a 20 minute

turnaround time at legal road speeds from the tanks to the furthest dwelling site within the residential development

tank construction: above ground tanks are constructed of concrete or metal and the stands of raised tanks are constructed using non-combustible materials and heat shielding where appropriate (i.e. heat shielding will be required in the case of metal tank stands)

It is the responsibility of the local government to ensure that these tanks are full of water

pipe construction: galvanised or copper pipe are used above ground, although PVC pipe may be used if buried 300 millimetres below ground

couplings are to be in accordance with the FESA guidelines available at www.fesa.wa.gov.au

procedures are put in place to ensure water tanks are maintained at full capacity at all times

hardstand and turn around area suitable for a 3.4 appliance are provided within 3 metres of each water tank

water tanks and associated facilities are vested in the relevant local government.


Yes No N/A

A3.3: A dam (or dams) with permanent water all year (including during drought years) is provided and meets the following requirements:

volume: 200 cubic metres of water storage at the driest time of the year for every 25 lots (or part thereof)

dam (or dams) is either vested in the relevant local government, or has a caveat placed on it to ensure fire services access.




Yes No

Element 4: Siting of Development A4.1: Hazard separation – moderate to extreme bush fire hazard level Every building is sited a minimum distance of 100 metres from any vegetation classified under table 1 and figure 1 as forests, woodlands, closed shrub, open shrub, mallee/mulga and rainforest (i.e. in an area with an moderate or extreme bush fire hazard level) or has its construction standard increased to align with the appropriate bush fire attack level for that location. Under AS 3959, the distance between the predominant vegetation and the building can be reduced but, the construction standard must be increased.


Yes No

A4.2: Hazard separation - low bush fire hazard level Every building is sited a minimum distance of 20 metres from any vegetation classified under table 1 and figure 1 of appendix 1 as grassland (ie in an area with a low bush fire hazard level).


Yes No

A4.3: Building protection zone Every building is surrounded by a building protection zone that meets the following requirements:

width: 20 metres measured from any external wall of the building location: within the boundaries of the lot on which the building is situated fuel load: reduced to and maintained at 2 tonnes per hectare trees (crowns) are a minimum of 10 metres apart trees are low pruned at least to a height of 2 metres no tall shrub or tree is located within 2 metres of a building (including

windows)



there are no tree crowns overhanging the building fences and sheds within the building protection zone are constructed using

non-combustible materials(i.e. colourbond, iron, brick, limestone) shrubs in the building protection zone have no dead material within the plant tall shrubs in the building protection zone are not planted in clumps close to

the building, i.e. within3 metres trees in the building protection zone have no dead material within the plant’s

crown or on the bole.


Yes No

A4.4: Hazard separation zone Every building and its contiguous building protection zone is surrounded by a hazard separation zone that meets the following requirements:

minimum width: 80 metres in the case of vegetation classified under table 1 and figure 1 as forests, woodlands, closed shrub, open shrub, mallee/mulga and rainforest, measured from the outer edge of the building protection zone

location: within the boundaries of the lot on which the building is situated or, where this is not possible or desirable, within the boundaries of the overall residential development in which the building is proposed to be located

fuel load: reduced to and maintained at between 5 and 8 tonnes per hectare for jarrah/marri dominated forest and woodlands, below 12-15t/ha in mallee heath and below 15t/ha in karri forest

trees (crowns) are a minimum of 10 metres apart trees in the hazard separation zone have no dead material within the plant’s

crown or on the bole.


Yes No

A4.5: Reduction in bush fire attack level due to shielding A reduction in the bushfire attack level (BAL) due to shielding from direct flame contact or radiant heat via a stand-alone non-combustible structure shall be considered achieved when the following applies:

A building elevation that is not exposed to the source of bushfire attack can be classified to the next lower bushfire attack level for those elevations.

A reduction in the bushfire attack level (see (a) above) and the according construction standards cannot fall below BAL-12.5.



An elevation is deemed to be exposed to the source of the bush fire if any of the straight lines between that elevation and source of bush fire attack is not obstructed by another part of the building, for this method, only the side(s) furthest from the vegetation will gain the reduction.


Yes No

Element 5: Design of Development

A5.1: For development that complies with acceptable solutions A4.1, A4.2, A4.3 and A4.4 there are no special design requirements.


Yes No

A5.2: For development that does not comply with acceptable solutions A4.1, A4.2, A4.3 and A4.4 there is no acceptable solution. All such proposals must be assessed under performance criterion P5.


Yes No

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