anglesea’s nest egg peregrine falcons return to the nest box alcoa anglesea 2008 environment report august ANGLESEA ENVIRONMENT REPORT AUGUST 2008 air Air Monitoring Stack Monitors Average Maximum Opacity g/m3 10-minute average 0.063 0.294 Stack SO2 kg/min 1-hour average Licence limit 100kg/min 41.92 87.56 SO2 1 hour ppb Average Maximum Community Centre <1 6 Primary School <1 50 Mt Ingoldsby <1 75 Scout Camp 3 130 Camp Wilkin <1 77 Camp Road 1 80 Ambient Monitors Ambient Monitors SO2 Maximum 1 hour averages (ppb) Date 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Community Centre - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 1 1 0 0 0 0 6 1 1 Primary School 16 - - - 16 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 17 0 1 0 0 0 25 15 1 0 42 8 Mt Ingoldsby 0 0 0 45 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 14 0 0 26 75 0 130 - - - 4 2 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 106 0 1 0 0 20 1 0 0 1 2 4 102 - - 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 12 0 0 6 77 2 23 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 80 1 0 0 0 0 67 13 0 0 60 3 Scout Camp Camp Wilkin 0 Camp Road 63 0 EPA Air Quality Objective 200 Alcoa Local Standard 170 - 21 2 0 - 50 2 ANGLESEA ENVIRONMENT REPORT AUGUST 2008 water Water Storage Barwon Water storage levels for the Geelong system at 30.3% capacity. Stage 4 winter water restrictions with an exemption to permit limited residential garden watering are in force. Water Discharge ML August Total Ashponds (SP1) 132 1115 Mine (SP4) 0 0.12 Water Monitoring SP1 SP4 SP3 26/08/2008 Ashpond Mine Final EPA limit Lab Result EPA limit Lab Result EPA limit Lab Result pH 4-10 8.6 3-9 no 5-9 7.4 Susp. Solids 100 <4 100 discharge 30 <4 Colour 50 4 50 at 50 4 Aluminium 10.00 0.22 10 time 5.50 0.05 Iron 10.00 0.34 20 of 4.00 0.03 Zinc 0.40 < 0.01 2.0 sampling 0.30 0.01 WATER WATER USAGE PER MONTH (ML) Date JAN FEB MAR APR Town Water 1.4 0.9 0.9 2.2 1.0 0.9 1.7 2.2 11.2 Bore Water 279 304 305 254 292 265 252 196 2147 Mine Water 53 24 45 26 45 44 69 51 357 MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC TOTAL 3 0 0 .0 3000 2 5 0 .0 2500 2 0 0 .0 2000 1 5 0 .0 1500 1 0 0 .0 1000 5 0 .0 0 .0 500 0 ANGLESEA ENVIRONMENT REPORT AUGUST 2008 peregrine falcon Our beloved Peregrine Falcons are back for 2008 with Havoc and Sheila returning to their purposebuilt nest box on the water tower at Alcoa Anglesea. Running a little behind schedule this year, our feathered couple had a disruptive pre-season only showing up at the nest box on the odd occasion. The pair usually have a consistent presence at the nest box from mid-July with displays of courtship and preparation of the scrape. However once settled in Sheila took no time to get down to business and lay eggs number one and two. The female usually lays one egg every 48 hours so we expect eggs number three and maybe four in first few days of September. Whilst Peregrines can lay anywhere from two to six eggs, the average number is four. Young pairs often only have two eggs in their first breeding season, and then increase to three or four eggs in subsequent years. Since her arrival at Alcoa Anglesea in 2004, Sheila has laid four eggs every year. As they say, ‘don’t count your chickens before they hatch’...or in this case falcons. Despite laying four eggs, hatching success has been mixed with only one and two eggs hatching in 2006 and 2007 respectively. Fingers crossed for a better result in 2008. The webcam at www.alcoa.com/falcons is now back online providing us images of day-to-day life in the Peregrine Falcon nest from the arrival of the first egg until the last fledgling departs. Online for the full breeding season in 2007, the webcam proved increasingly popular from it’s debut becoming the highest hit web page on www.alcoa.com/au for the month of October. ANIMAL OF THE ANGLESEA HEATH SWAMP HARRIER (Circus approximans) Size: Description: 55 cm mainly dark brown above with a prominent white rump; the Swamp Harrier is recognised in flight by it’s long and broad wings with 5 ‘fingers’ on the wing tips Distribution: Australasia and the South Pacific Habitat: terrestrial wetlands often in deep swamps with emergent reeds and open water Food: birds and eggs, large insects, frogs, reptiles and small mammals up to the size of a rabbit Breeding September to December; the nest of the Swamp Harrier is made of straw and grasses, hidden above the water in dense reeds in a swamp; usually nest in single pairs Did you know? Swamp Harriers are easily disturbed at the nest and will abandon their eggs and even downy young if approached by people SWAMP HARRIER ANGLESEA ENVIRONMENT REPORT AUGUST 2008 LAND RAINFALL (mm) Month JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG 2008 Rainfall 19.8 35.8 15.2 17.3 32.5 43.8 75.8 61.6 301.8 1968-2007 Average 44.5 42.7 41.1 52.5 61.0 59.9 62.2 65.3 429.1 SEPT OCT NOV DEC TOTAL 100 7 00.00 90 6 00.00 80 5 00.00 70 60 4 00.00 50 3 00.00 40 30 2 00.00 20 1 00.00 10 0 .0 0 0 WATER TOWN WATER USE (ML) FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP Process 23.9 12.8 1 0 . 1 1.3 0.8 0.8 2.1 0.8 0.8 1.5 2.0 Amenity 11.6 1.5 1.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.2 0.1 0.2 0.2 2000 2007 2008 JAN 0.1 OCT NOV DEC 4 0 .0 3 5 .0 2 .0 3 0 .0 1 .5 2 5 .0 2 0 .0 1 .0 1 5 .0 1 0 .0 0 .5 5 .0 0 .0 0 .0 2 0 0 0 2 0 0 7 2 0 0 8 JA N F E B M A R A P R M A Y JU N JU L A U G S E P O C T N O V D E C AIR GREENHOUSE GAS (GHG) TOTAL (Mt) & GHG EMISSION EFFICENCY (t/MWh) GHG Mt GHG t/MWh 1990 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 1.42 1.23 1.27 1.50 1.45 1.47 1.31 1.49 1.40 1.39 1.34 1.24 1.19 1.21 1.21 1.20 1.21 1.20 1.18 1.20 2 1600000 1 .8 1400000 1 .6 1 .4 1 .2 1200000 1000000 1 800000 0 .8 600000 0 .6 400000 0 .4 0 .2 0 200000 0 ANGLESEA ENVIRONMENT REPORT AUGUST 2008 environmental improvement Environmental Management Targets August 2008 YTD Forecast 2008 Target Reportable Environmental Incidents 0 0 0 0 Monthly EHS ASAT Audit Completion (%) 100 100 100 90 Air Emission Targets August 2008 YTD Forecast 2008 Target Ambient SO2 ( no. readings > 200ppb) 0 0 0 0 Stack SO2 (no. hrs > 100kg/min) 0 0 0 0 SO2 Load Reductions (lost MWh) 998 10879 16319 N/A GHG Efficiency (t CO2 e/MWh) 1.22 1.20 1.20 1.20 Opacity (10 min av > 0.25g/m normal operation) 0 0 0 0 Water Targets August 2008 YTD Forecast 2008 Target Town Water (ML) 2.2 11.2 16.8 14.2 Bore Water (ML) 196 2147 3221 2370 Waste Targets August 2008 YTD Forecast 2008 Target Waste to Landfill (t) 0.0 4.5 6.8 8.0 Solid Prescribed Waste to Landfill (t) 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 3 Mine Rehabilitation Targets 2008 YTD 2008 Target 2008 Area to Clear (ha) 0.0 0.0 2008 Area to Rehabilitate (ha) 0.0 0.0 2007 Mine Rehabilitation Species Richness (%) N/A 100 OUR ENVIRONMENT AND OUR EMPLOYEE Congratulations Neil on winning the site’s Make an Impact competition. Was this your first experience using the Make an Impact calculator? This was the first time I used the calculator and a thank you to Maryann who help me work my way through it. Any specific initiatives at home that have reduced your carbon footprint? When the small Bayonet Cap fluro globes came on the market we replaced all of our candle globes. Not only were they cheaper to run, I really can’t recall replacing them whereas the candle globes would blow every 2 -3 weeks ending up in landfill. We have always been conscious of the energy rating and yearly running costs that are on the front of appliances when purchasing them. Draughts were a problem living in the country so door seals were installed. And good quality drapes on the windows which helps with not only keeping the warmth in but keeping the house cool in the summer months. What is your advice to others about the Make an Impact program? The Make an Impact program is a great reminder of your carbon footprint (the black balloons we see on TV), how to be mindful of the type of appliances you select (hot water units, dishwashers, air conditioners) and the way you use them. ...NEIL CARLSON