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Remote Waste Facilities

This publication provides information on the licensing process for remote waste facilities in the Northern Territory, including objectives, legislative overview, example scenarios, priority facilities, costs, and how to apply.

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Remote Waste Facilities

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  1. Remote Waste Facilities Towards Licencing Sally-Anne Orchard and Fity Peehikuru Environmental Authorisations, Department of Environment and Natural Resources June 2019

  2. Background • Objectives and management strategy • Legislative Overview • Example scenarios • Priority Facilities • Costs • How to apply • Questions? Concerns? • Close

  3. Background

  4. Landfills in NT A Northern Territory perspective The National Waste Management Database presents the spatial locations of Australia's known landfills and waste transfer stations (Geoscience Australia, 2018). An extract of NT landfill data shows: 140 operational landfills (excludes transfer stations, multi-purpose and reprocessing facilities) 42 ‘owners’ (local council and Aboriginal Corporation combined)

  5. Local Government Areas - Northern The waste facilities displayed range from: small landfills associated with homesteads and outstations larger facilities that service towns and remote communities. Currently, only waste facilities in major towns are appropriately licenced.

  6. Local Government Areas - Southern Combined, Barkly, Central Desert and MacDonnell Local Government Areas = 65% of the NT land mass (ABS, 2018). Excluding Alice Springs -Only 7% of NT population (ABS, 2018). What is the strategy to identify sites of concern?

  7. Objectives and management strategy

  8. Strategy NT EPA Publications NT EPA Strategic Plan 2018 – 2020 Waste Management Strategy for the Northern Territory 2015 – 2022 Key Priorities • Address the management of waste and pollution issues in remote communities - in particular illegal dumping and hazardous chemicals in our environment • Assess the status of landfill sites in the Territory to prioritise high environmental risk sites requiring operational improvement, impact monitoring or rehabilitation, including in a remote context; • regulate landfills in accordance with the objectives of the Waste Management and Pollution Control Act (the Act) .

  9. Project Plan: Management of Remote Waste Facilities Objectives • Identify and prioritise waste facilities designed to service over 1000 persons and/or handle listed waste on a commercial or fee for service basis; • Initiate action to require the relevant approval and/or licence to regulate the activity; • Conduct a desktop risk assessment of non-regulated sites to establish priority sites for assessment and regulation • Continually review and update information on unlicensed waste management facilities

  10. Legislative Overview

  11. Facilities that require an Environment Protection Approval or Licence The NT EPA administers environment protection approvals and licences for activities listed in Schedule 2 of the Act. The activities associated with the regulation of landfills are: Constructing, installing or carrying out works in relation to premises for disposing of waste by burial; Operating premises for the disposal of waste by burial that service, or are designed to service, the waste disposal requirements of more than 1000 persons; and Collecting, transporting, storing, re-cycling, treating or disposing of a Listed Waste on a commercial or fee for service basis.

  12. Schedule 2 - Listed Wastes A complete list of wastes included in Schedule 2 can be found on the NT EPA website at https://ntepa.nt.gov.au/waste-pollution/approvals-licences/listed-waste Listed waste pose a threat or risk to public health, safety or the environment and include substances which are toxic, infectious, mutagenic, carcinogenic, teratogenic, explosive, flammable, corrosive, oxidising and radioactive. Common Listed Wastes include: Asbestos Tyres Batteries Animal effluent and residues Grease trap waste Waste mineral oils unfit for their original intended use Soils contaminated with a listed waste.

  13. General Environmental Duty Section 12 of the Act Where a facility does not trigger the requirements for licensing, the facility shall be managed in accordance with Section 12. In summary, a person who conducts an activity that is likely to cause pollution resulting in environmental harm, must take all measures that a reasonable and practicable to prevent or minimize the pollution or environmental harm. Demonstrating GED • An Environmental Management Plan (EMP) may be a useful tool in demonstrating compliance with the general environmental duty in section 12. • Guidelines for the preparation of an EMP can be found online at https://ntepa.nt.gov.au/waste-pollution/guidelines/guidelines

  14. Example scenarios

  15. Remote Waste Facility X Services A waste facility at a community servicing less than 1000 persons. Municipal solid waste and listed waste is accepted at the facility on fee for service basis as charged by the responsible council. Is an Authorisation under the Act required? • Yes, Listed Waste is accepted at the facility for storage and disposal on a commercial or fee for service basis. Authorisation required: Environment Protection Licence • A licence is not required to operate a landfill that services a permanent population of less than 1000 persons that only accepts municipal solid waste

  16. Town Waste Facility Y Services A waste facility at a community servicing greater than 1000 persons. Only municipal solid waste is accepted at the facility for burial. No fee is charged for this waste. The council operates a separate transfer station at its depot for collecting and storing listed wastes on a fee for service basis. It holds an Environment Protection Licence for the depot site. Waste is later transported interstate for recycling by a third party. Is an Authorisation under the Act required? • Yes, the council is operating premises for the disposal of waste by burial that service, or are designed to service, the waste disposal requirements of more than 1000 persons. Authorisation required: Environment Protection Licence

  17. Remote Waste Facility Z Services A waste facility at a community servicing less than 1000 persons. Only general household waste is accepted at the facility for burial. No fee is charged for this waste. In the Dry Season the population increases for three months of the year due to tourism and sports Is an Authorisation under the Act required? • No, the council is operating premises for the disposal of waste by burial that services less than 1000 equivalent fulltime residents. No listed waste is accepted. • The council needs to operate the facility in accordance with its general environmental duty (s12).

  18. Priority Facilities

  19. Resulting priority list 22 priority sites Assessment of population data >1000 permanent residents Assessment of historical licences or authorisations-lapsed Confirmed listed waste handling – officer site inspection Excludes – unverified listed waste handling Excludes – currently licenced facilities Compliance with the requirements of the Act is your responsibility.

  20. What does it cost to apply for and hold a licence or authorisation?

  21. Financial year 19/20 costs The first year Application fee: $417 and first annual fee up front: $417 = $834 Ongoing fees • Annual fee, each year. • Listed Waste handling fee (if handled): $0.0575 per tonne or kL, annually. • Fee to amend or revoke the conditions of the licence (if requested): $139 • Renewal fee, at end of licence term = annual fee. Potential compliance costs – site specific • Upkeep of existing management plans • Environmental monitoring (samples of soil/water) • Performance Improvement Plans potentially requiring physical site improvement • Environmental Auditing

  22. How to apply

  23. Prepare What is required? An application for a license needs to be supported by relevant site information and plans. The NT EPA advises that the processing time for applications can be significant and is largely dependent on the quality and completeness of information provided. Review information available at https://ntepa.nt.gov.au/waste-pollution/approvals-licences/how-to-apply Apply Online • At the link above, scroll down to Applications • Create an account or log in

  24. When to apply for an authorisation Timeframe to apply Supporting information is complete – apply now Supporting information under development – let us know when you will submit your application. Just starting the process? Apply by April 2020 Timing to receive your authorisation • Approximately 90 days for complete applications.

  25. Need help? Online Resources NT EPA Online - User Guide Application for an Environment Protection Licence Supplemental: Guide to Environment Protection Approvals and Licences (superseded hard copy guide – still useful!) Ask the team • E-mail waste@nt.gov.au • DENR Environment Division Reception: 8924 4218

  26. Questions?

  27. Thank You

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