Greater Hume Operational Environmental Management Plan for Culcairn Wastewater Treatment Plant and Re-Use Scheme Operational Environmental Management Plan Document Control for Culcairn Wastewater Treatment Plant & Re-use Scheme Document Register Number: GHSC.WS.STRAT.0007.001 Rev No Date Revision Details Author Reviewer Approver Manager Water Director General 1 October 2008 First Edition and Sewer Engineering Manager Manager Water Director General 2 March 2010 and Sewer Engineering Manager Format to Style Guide Manager Water Director General 3 9/05/2014 Standard and Sewer Engineering Manager Prepared By: Greater Hume Shire Council Table of Contents 1.0 Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 1 2.0 Policy .............................................................................................................................. 2 3.0 Objectives ........................................................................................................................ 3 4.0 Environmental Setting ....................................................................................................... 3 4.1 Locality ........................................................................................................................ 3 4.2 Designated Use ............................................................................................................. 3 4.3 Access Restrictions ........................................................................................................ 4 4.4 Preventative Measures ................................................................................................... 4 5.0 Statement of Environmental Effects ................................................................................... 5 5.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................. 5 5.2 Environmental Effects .................................................................................................... 5 6.0 Management structure ...................................................................................................... 6 6.1 Operational Management Team & Emergency Contact List ............................................... 7 6.2 Roles and Responsibilities .............................................................................................. 7 7.0 Risks and Control Measures ............................................................................................... 8 7.1 Identified Risks ............................................................................................................. 8 7.2 Consideration of Significant Environmental Impacts.......................................................... 8 7.3 Operational Impacts and Control Measures ...................................................................... 9 8.0 Legislation ..................................................................................................................... 12 9.0 Environmental Objectives and Targets .............................................................................. 13 10.0 Implementation .............................................................................................................. 14 10.1 Management Cycle of Continuous Improvement ............................................................ 14 10.2 Action and Plans to achieve Objectives and Targets ....................................................... 14 10.3 Discharge to the Environment ...................................................................................... 16 10.4 E.S.D. (Ecologically Sustainable Development) Outcomes ............................................... 17 10.5 Actions and Responsibilities.......................................................................................... 18 11.0 Training ......................................................................................................................... 18 11.1 Council Employees (Current Employees)........................................................................ 18 11.2 Outside Contractors and New Employees ...................................................................... 19 12.0 Monitoring Program ........................................................................................................ 19 12.1 Volume Monitoring ...................................................................................................... 19 12.2 Operational Monitoring ................................................................................................ 20 12.3 Irrigation Management ................................................................................................ 20 13.0 Documentation ............................................................................................................... 20 14.0 Emergency Response ...................................................................................................... 21 14.1 The Greater Hume Shire Council Organisational Structure ............................................... 21 14.2 Emergency Contact List and Priority for Notification of Incident ....................................... 22 Greater Hume Shire Council – Operational Environmental Management Plan 14.3 Overflow Emergency Response Plan ............................................................................. 23 15.0 Management Reporting ................................................................................................... 29 16.0 Records and Information Management ............................................................................. 29 17.0 Audit and Review ........................................................................................................... 29 18.0 References ..................................................................................................................... 30 19.0 Bibliography (Uncited Reading Matter) ............................................................................. 31 20.0 Appendix ....................................................................................................................... 32 Greater Hume Shire Council – Operational Environmental Management Plan 1.0 Introduction This Operational Environmental Management Plan (OEMP) is intended to guide managers and staff of Greater Hume Shire Council’s Wastewater Treatment Facility to achieve the environmental protection requirements and deliver an ecologically sustainable system. The principle objectives of this OEMP are to describe procedures that ensure a sustainable environmental system during the operation of Facility and Re-Use Scheme. The ultimate goal is to enable maintenance of the environment in both the long and short term. This OEMP will form part of the Operations Manuals for the Greater Hume Shire Council Culcairn Sewerage Treatment Plant. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT This Environmental Management Plan is largely based on the model document written by Mr Richard Scott, Senior Environmental Health Officer, NSW Department of Energy, Utilities and Sustainability, titled “Operational Environmental Management Plan – Wastewater Treatment Facility” which itself was derived from Mr Scott’s Thesis for a Graduate Diploma of Environmental Management awarded by La Trobe University in 2001. Greater Hume Shire Council – Operational Environmental Management Plan 1 2.0 Policy The Council is committed to environmental management and its need to operate a Wastewater Treatment Plant in a responsible and economically sustainable manner. The Operational Environmental Management Plan (OEMP) is based on the principle of ‘Ecologically Sustainable Development’ as defined in Australia’s National Strategy for Ecologically Sustainable Development (Commonwealth of Australia). Ecologically Sustainable Development is: “Using, conserving and enhancing the community’s resources so that ecological processes, on which life depends, are maintained, and the total quality of life, now, and in the future, can be increased”. (NSW, NOW, Environmental Guide, for the management of local government water supply, sewerage and drainage services, 1997). The environment is such a complex web of physical, social, economic, biological and cultural factors that if any of these or all of these parameters are altered dramatically in any way, then a change may be felt in the community. Greater Hume Shire Council’s commitment to the environment is documented forthwith; the following is lifted from council’s Management Plan 2008/2011. “Environmental Management Activities undertaken by Council to protect environmentally sensitive areas and to promote the ecological sustainability of the shire area. Council acknowledges the increasingly important profile that matters relating to the environment are assuming within our society. To this end Council has prepared a State of the Environment Report. (Appendix 1) In an environmental set-up of a town or city, environmental due diligence must be observed in water cycle management, asset management, total catchment management and, above all water resource management. With everyday rising awareness about environmental consequences of various developmental activities, it is well established that ESD (Ecologically Sustainable Development) cannot be realised without a sound statutory framework and active community participation.” Greater Hume Shire Council – Operational Environmental Management