Nepc annual Report 2014-15

Reporting on Assessment and Action if any planned or taken to manage air toxics

Progress toward improving the information base regarding ambient levels of air toxics within the Queensland environment has occurred by way of the desktop analysis, identifying sites likely to have the highest population exposure to air toxics, and ambient monitoring of benzene, toluene, xylene, formaldehyde and benzo[a]pyrene in Brisbane and Gladstone. Past and current monitoring does not suggest a problem with air toxics at the sites monitored.

Repeat Identification of Stage 1 and Stage 2 Sites

The analysis for identification and prioritisation of Stage 1 and Stage 2 sites, as required by the NEPM was limited to the populous areas of South East Queensland. The following sites were identified as Stage 2 sites representative of locations with the most potential for significant population exposure to air toxics:

Ipswich Road, Woolloongabba—representative of a medium density residential area with potential for significant population exposure to air toxics from motor vehicle emissions; and

Wynnum North Road, Wynnum North—representative of a low-medium density residential area with potential for significant population exposure to air toxics from industrial emissions

Western Australia

Report to the National Environment Protection Council (NEPC) on the implementation of the National Environment Protection (Air Toxics) Measure for Western Australia by Hon. Albert Jacob MLA, Minister for Environment; Heritage for the reporting year ended 30 June 2015.

PART 1—IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NEPM AND ANY SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

Legislative, regulatory and administrative framework

In Western Australia, the National Environment Protection (Air Toxics) Measure is implemented by the Department of Environment Regulation (DER) under the National Environment Protection Council (WA) Act 1996 and the Environmental Protection Act 1986.

Air toxics emissions are also managed through the Perth Air Quality Management Plan (AQMP), a non-statutory mechanism established by the Western Australian Government. The objective of the AQMP is to ensure that clean air is achieved and maintained throughout the Perth metropolitan region. The AQMP identifies that, to achieve an overall improvement in Perth’s air quality, further studies are required to determine major sources and concentrations of air toxics in the Perth metropolitan region. The initiatives within the AQMP are complementary to the Air Toxics NEPM.

Implementation issues arising

There have been investigations into levels of certain volatile organic compounds including benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes undertaken during 2013 and 2014 using an open path fourier transform infrared spectrometer (OP-FTIR) within urban areas adjacent to the Kwinana Industrial Area. The OP-FTIR monitoring was completed in October 2014 totalling 69 sampling days. The advantage of the OP-FTIR is that it allows simultaneous monitoring of a range of volatile organic compounds at a higher temporal resolution than passive sampling or NEPM-compliant monitoring. A report on this study is being prepared and will be made available on the DER website www.der.wa.gov.au.

PART 2—ASSESSMENT OF NEPM EFFECTIVENESS

The NEPM has been effective in highlighting the need to investigate air toxics concentrations and providing monitoring investigation levels to which the results can be compared. The monitoring investigation levels provide a nationally consistent benchmark for assessing and comparing the concentrations of ambient air toxics from diverse monitoring sites and are an effective tool to inform government policy and programs on appropriate abatement actions.

Monitoring for air toxics in Western Australia has primarily been undertaken as part of specific studies. This has meant there are often a number of objectives to be satisfied when developing and implementing the monitoring programs. As a consequence, the NEPM monitoring protocol has not always been followed. The monitoring results from these studies are invaluable when assessing ambient air toxic concentrations across Western Australia.

An updated emissions inventory is currently being developed for the Perth Metropolitan Region. This inventory will include air toxics and will give Western Australia better information in identifying and prioritising air toxic sources in this area.

Reporting of monitoring of air toxics

The results of NEPM-compliant monitoring as well as the additional complementary air quality studies in 2007–08 and 2009 indicated that air toxics levels in Perth are low compared to international standards and below NEPM monitoring investigation levels. These studies have been summarised and published in the Background Air Quality Monitoring in Kwinana 2005 to 2010, which is available on the DER website www.der.wa.gov.au. Owing to these findings, no additional NEPM-compliant monitoring has been undertaken during the past 12 months.

Reporting on assessment and action if any planned or taken to manage air toxics

Past monitoring has indicated that levels of air toxics are below monitoring investigation levels and no further action is currently indicated.

Repeat Identification of Stage 1 and Stage 2 sites

No repeat identification of Stage 1 and Stage 2 sites is currently planned. The initial desktop analysis identified 13 Stage 1 sites for formaldehyde, of which three met the ranking criteria for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons Stage 1 sites. No Stage 1 sites were identified for benzene, toluene or xylene. Two priority categories (traffic volume and wood heater density) were used to identify two Stage 2 sites. The results of the air toxics monitoring at these two Stage 2 sites showed that the annual average concentrations for formaldehyde and benzo[α]pyrene were below NEPM monitoring investigation levels. As these two sites are representative of the Stage 1 sites initially identified, repeat identification of Stage 1 and Stage 2 sites is not needed at this time.

 

South Australia

Report to the NEPC on the implementation of the National Environment Protection (Air Toxics) Measure for South Australia by the Hon. Ian Hunter MLC, Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, for the reporting year ended 30 June 2015.

PART 1—IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NEPM AND ANY SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

The NEPM operates as an Environment Protection Policy under the Environment Protection Act 1993.

PART 2—ASSESSMENT OF NEPM EFFECTIVENESS

As monitoring in other jurisdictions has shown, air toxics in Australia are well below monitoring investigation levels. South Australia has not engaged in any specific monitoring of air toxics during the reporting period.

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Tasmania

Report to the NEPC on the implementation of the National Environment Protection (Air Toxics) Measure for Tasmania by the Hon. Matthew Groom MP, Minister for Environment, Parks and Heritage for the reporting year ended 30 June 2015.

PART 1—IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NEPM AND ANY SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

In Tasmania the enabling legislation for the National Environment Protection (Air Toxics) Measure process is the Environmental Management and Pollution Control Act 1994 (EMPCA). The process is implemented primarily through the EPA Division of the Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and the Environment (DPIPWE).

NEPMs are adopted as state policies under the State Policies and Projects Act 1993, and the Air Toxics NEPM is put into effect under the Environment Protection Policy (Air Quality) 2004 (Air Policy) and the Tasmanian Air Quality Strategy 2006.

Tasmania has undertaken extensive preliminary screening monitoring of air toxics in Tasmania between 2008 and 2011. Due to budgetary constraints air toxics monitoring was discontinued in 2011. No air toxics monitoring was undertaken in Tasmania during the reporting year ending 30 June 2015.

PART 2—ASSESSMENT OF NEPM EFFECTIVENESS

The monitoring conducted to date has improved the information base available in relation to ambient concentrations of air toxics in Tasmania.