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I I MELBOURNE DOCKLANDS STRATEGIC OPTIONS I I CONSULTANTS' REPORT No. I 8.2.2.5b I Ground contamination overview study I / I I I I I I I I I I DOCK LANDS I 711.5 TASK FORCE 099451 DOC strategic I options cr I . f I IN[I~iiliil~ir M0045880 I I DOCKLANDSTASKFORCE I I I I MELBOURNE DOCKLANDS REDEVELOPMENT I I Final Report on I GROUND CONTAMINATION OVERVIEW STUDY I ...~'.".~ . ~ . .~~ , I I Infrastructure Library May 1990 I I I I CAMP SCOTT FURPHY PTY. LTD. in association with I GOLDER ASSOCIATES PTY. LTD. II I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I 711.5 DOI07583 099451 DOC Melbourne docklands I strategic strategic options: options cr consultants' report f I I I I I I I DOCKLANDSTASKFORCE MELBOURNE DOCKLANDS REDEVELOPMENT I GROUND CONTAMINATION OVERVIEW STUDY TABLE OF CONTENTS I, PAGE NO. I 1. INTRODUCTION 2. STUDY SCOPE 2 I 2.1 General 2 I 2.2 Study Limitations 4 3. SITE DATA 5 I 3.1 Geology 5 3.2 Site History 7 I 3.3 Industrialalnd Commercial Heritage 11 I 3.4 Present Land-use 14 4. PRELIMINARY CONTAMINATION ASSESSMENT 15 I 4.1 General 15 'I 4.2 Impact of Land Reclamation 17 4.3 Impact of Industry 19 I 4.4 Potential Ground and Groundwater Contamination 21 5. REMEDIATION STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT 24 I 5.1 General 24 I 5.2 Factors Influencing the Selection of a Site Remediation 24 5.3 Appropriate Remediation Technologies 25 I 5.4 Remediation Requirements 27 I 6. CONCLUSIONS 29 I BIBLIOGRAPHY APPENDIX A- List of Industries Interviewed I APPENDIX B- Dutch B Guideline Levels for Contaminated Site Clean-up Assessment I I 1 I 1. INTRODUCTION I I Camp Scott Furphy Pty. Ltd. (CSF) in association with Golder Associates Pty. Ltd. (GA) have been commissioned by the Docklands Task Force to undertake an overview study I of ground contamination within the Melbourne Docklands Area as defined in the attached Figure 1. I The Melbourne Docklands Area incorporates the site of the Victoria Harbour Redevelopment which has been the subject o.f a separate study undertaken by CSF I and GA on behalf of the Victorian Government Major Projects Unit and a review of the I ground contamination in this area is excluded from this study. I I I I I I I I I I I I I 2 I 2. STUDY SCOPE I I 2.1 GENERAL I The scope of the study is to provide an overview of the potential and documented soil and groundwater contamination that may exist within the Melbourne Docklands Area and a review of remediation options that may be appropriate for the range of I contaminant types identified. The particular study task,S identified include: I • identification of the Docklands Area historical site development. Much of the subject area was formerly low-lying and has been the subject of ongoing site I development particularly along the Yarra River. I • identification of historical and present land use by industry type. I • limited interviews with occupiers. I • review of geological and hydrogeological data for the subject area. • identification of areas of known contamination and areas of potential contamination I by contaminant types. I • review of the site and regional implications of contamination particularly with regard to impact on future land-use. I • review of remediation options that are, in general, appropriate for the range of I contaminant types and site conditions identified. I • presentation of results. I I I I I 3 I The following considerations are relevant to the study given the preliminary nature of I the proposed investigation: • Only limited information of ground contamination is likely to be obtained from I present site occupiers for a number of reasons. Occupiers may be reluctant to identify ground contamination at this level of investigation because of the cost I ramifications of site clean-up. Larger industries in the area are more likely to be implementing environmental programs to address ground contamination problems I and hence relevant information may be readily available from these industries. • The industrial development of the area commenced in the 1850's and the review of I historical information of this development is necessary to identify potential sources of contamination. Aerial photographs do provide valuable information from around I 1945 but again provide a limited view of the former site uses. I • Existing occupiers are, in general, only able to provide a limited view of the site history. I • Predictions regarding th~ nature and extent of contamination based on past site use can be made on the basis of information on past chemical storage and I handling, processing, and waste management practices, and site geology, however such predictions will in general only provide information on which to base . I further investigations. I •A number of industry types are of particular concern when assessing the potential of industry practices to contaminate ground. The overview study was directed to identifying such industries~ their significance based on site geology, years of I operation, likely waste types and hence impact on regional soil arid groundwater I contamination. I • Identification of the severity of contamination is difficult in the absence of field data. I I I I I 4 I 2.2 STUDY LIMITATIONS I The findings of this study are based on a preliminary review of former and present land use within the study area, an assessment of chemicals used and wastes produced by I industry and the generalised geology. Areas that may be potentially contaminated, based on this review are identified. Detailed inv~stigations inch,Joing sampling and I testing of soil and groundwater will need to be undertaken to confirm the extent and nature of contamination. In this regard this study is not intended to be definitive but has I been directed to: • provide information on which to base more detailed (field) investigations I • present an overview of the potentially contaminated areas. I This study is not based on the review of all relevant information and may not identify all sites within the area that are potentially contaminated however presents an overview of I contamination in the study area. I I I II I I I I I I I I 5 I 3. SITE DATA I Infrastructure Library . I 3.1 GEOLOGY I 3. '1.1 General The majority of the Docklands study area is shown by the Geological Survey of Victoria I 1:63,360 series Melbourne mapsheet to be underlain by Quaternary age sediments associated with the Yarra River Delta, but with peripheral zones of Quaternary age basalts and some Tertiary age sediments. A generalized presentation of geological I information and likely extent of reclamation works for the study area is shown on I Figure 2. The stratigraphy of the Quaternary age deposits of the Yarra River Delta may be I summarised as: I • Port Melbourne Sand Typically a silty sand or sand, variable in density from loose to dense. This unit is I predominantly confined to south of the Yarra River, but small pockets are reported north of the river in the vicinity of Swanson Dock. The thickness of the sands varies I up to a maximum of about 10 metres. I • Goode Island Silt Typically an aged normally consolidated silty clay 'of high plasticity, increasing in I strength from very soft near the surface to stiff below about 15 m to 20 m depth. The Goode Island Silt is generally present within the study area, underlying the Port Melbourne Sand over much of the area south of the Yarra. The thickness of this I unit varies from only a metre or so near the mouth of the Yarra to at least 15 metres to 20 metres elsewhere. The upper parts of the Goode Island Silt are occasionally I sandy and thin sand lenses are often observed. The Goode Island Silt unit is highly compressible and exhibits significant secondary I consolidation, or creep behaviour, even under low increased applied stresses. Records indicate that where Goode Island Silt is present, on-going areal I settlements of about 5 to 10 mmiyear are occurring. Some areas of South Melbourne are believed to have settled by about one metre in the last 100 years, I due to compression of the Coode Island Silt. I I 6 I • Fishermens Bend Silt I Typically a stiff to very stiff silty clay. This clay can usually be recognised by mottled colouring. The Fishermens Bend Silt unconformably underlies the Coode I Island Silt throughout the majority of the study area. I • Moray Street Gravels Over much of the study area the Fishermens Bend Silt is underlain by silty sands I and sands, with occasional gravel beds containing cobbles and boulders. These sands and gravels typically vary from moderately dense to very dense, but some I loose zones have been observed. I The Moray Street Gravels typically overlie Tertiary age sediments and volcanics, with Silurian age siltstones and sandstones forming the bedrock at depths of up to I about 80 metres. The western limit of the Yarra River delta appears to be controlled by the presence of I Quaternary age basalt rock, and clays associated with weathering of this rock. The basalt rock is fine grained and typically of high strength, being the source of high I quality quarry products in Melbourne. Several quarries have operated in the basalt close to the western limit of the study area, and some of these quarries are reported to I impinge on the study area. Many of these quarries were backfilled earlier this century sometimes with chemical waste products.