LIVING NEAR A CONCRETE PLANT NOISE AND DUST

Concrete batch plants To ensure our infrastructure remains to minimising the impact of their play an important role affordable, it’s important that the operations on local communities concrete is made close to where and environments. If you live near in our daily lives. They it is used as it generally only lasts a concrete batch plant you may provide the concrete that’s 90 minutes before it starts to harden. notice occasional noise and dust used to build our roads, That’s why you find the concrete coming from the plant. batch plants in and around the The following information will hospitals, schools and communities that use their product, help to explain why this occurs supporting local jobs and reducing our homes, building and what the plant operators costs for local council projects. a stronger Australia. and government regulators do Concrete batch plants operate to to minimise any impact on those strict conditions and are committed living or working nearby.

WHERE DOES NOISE AND DUST plans and are regulated by local WHAT IS A CONCRETE councils or environmental regulators COME FROM? such as a state’s EPA. BATCH PLANT? Noise at a plant can be generated from activities such as: HOW DO CONCRETE BATCH PLANTS Cement, sand and gravel • delivery of cement, sand and gravel MANAGE NOISE AND DUST? is transported by truck • handling, loading and mixing Concrete batch plant operators to the concrete batch plant of concrete undertake a number of measures truck movements to minimise the noise and dust where they are stored • that comes from their site so in storage bins or silos. • reversing beepers. that the local neighbourhood will Dust at a plant can come from: These ingredients are then not be affected by the plant. the delivery, storage and transfer accurately measured and • These emissions may be controlled of cement, sand and gravel. by implementing a series of industry poured into waiting agitator • truck movements. best practice measures such as: trucks. Water is added HOW IS NOISE AND DUST REGULATED? • enclosing all noise and dust and the concrete mixed generating activities in properly Offsite emissions naturally designed buildings or barriers as the agitator barrel is associated with concrete batch • covering truckloads of sand rotated, ready for testing plants such as noise and dust may and gravel during transport and delivery direct to the result in impacts on the surrounding • loading the cement silos via community and natural environment an enclosed, pneumatic system construction site. if they are not correctly managed. • using low intrusion or broadband Most modern concrete batching reversing alarms plants operate according to • sealing and maintaining damp Environment Management Systems internal roadways that detail how the site operates • regularly water sand and in an environmentally responsible gravel stockpiles manner. Control measures for noise • screening the boundary of the and dust can be included in such site with a fence and vegetation • maintaining dust filters and extractors. IS THERE SOMEONE I CAN TALK The effectiveness of these controls TO IF I HAVE FURTHER CONCERNS? can be shown by monitoring the noise and dust levels of the Contact your local concrete site according to an approved batch plant manager to raise environment management plan. any concerns you may have and at the same time, allow them to explain the safe and proper operation of the site. Visit www.ccaa.com.au to find out more.