be alert not alarmed early warning tool for sulphur dioxide alcoa anglesea 2008 environment report september ANGLESEA ENVIRONMENT REPORT SEPTEMBER 2008 air Air Monitoring Stack Monitors Average Maximum Opacity g/m3 10-minute average 0.071 0.165 Stack SO2 kg/min 1-hour average Licence limit 100kg/min 58.80 69.36 SO2 1 hour ppb Average Maximum Community Centre 2 110 Primary School 6 147 Mt Ingoldsby <1 33 Scout Camp 6 140 Camp Wilkin 2 179 Camp Road 7 152 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 Community Centre 1 1 0 1 36 1 1 0 0 52 86 86 10 5 110 1 13 52 20 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 Primary School 98 2 1 3 114 1 0 0 0 55 113 76 83 7 141 - 49 78 62 14 - - - - 55 147 3 Mt Ingoldsby 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 7 1 0 0 Scout Camp 8 22 1 4 2 50 60 0 1 10 1 56 12 - 138 57 8 2 104 82 - 140114 58 1 49 5 Camp Wilkin 29 0 1 2 2 0 0 0 0 72 4 6 80 24 5 0 179 0 Camp Road 152 1 1 3 51 2 1 0 0 32 51 141150 37 109 0 EPA Air Quality Objective 200 Alcoa Local Standard 170 0 0 12 0 14 0 0 0 0 0 1 5 66 2 3 17 0 - - 47 9 107 1 - 0 14 1 7 0 1 0 0 33 0 0 1 77 111 6 41 0 0 76 0 0 0 6 ANGLESEA ENVIRONMENT REPORT SEPTEMBER 2008 water Water Storage Barwon Water storage levels for the Geelong system at 31.1% capacity. Stage 4 winter water restrictions with allowance for limited residential garden watering have been extended until November 1, 2008. Water Discharge ML September Total Ashponds (SP1) 132 1247 Mine (SP4) 0 0.12 Water Monitoring SP1 SP4 SP3 24/09/2008 Ashpond Mine Final EPA limit Lab Result EPA limit Lab Result EPA limit Lab Result pH 4-10 9.1 3-9 no 5-9 7.5 Susp. Solids 100 5 100 discharge 30 <4 Colour 50 4 50 at 50 4 Aluminium 10.00 0.15 10 time 5.50 0.06 Iron 10.00 0.30 20 of 4.00 < 0.04 Zinc 0.40 < 0.01 2.0 sampling 0.30 0.01 WATER WATER USAGE PER MONTH (ML) Date JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT Town Water 1.4 0.9 0.9 2.2 1.0 0.9 1.7 2.2 1.0 12.2 Bore Water 279 304 305 254 292 265 252 196 272 2419 Mine Water 53 24 45 26 45 44 69 51 41 408 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 SEPTEMBER 2008 early warning tool for so2 Anglesea’s approach to sulphur dioxide (SO2) has taken the next step with best practise technology to ensure the emissions from the station comply with the Victorian Environmental Policy for Air. Back in 2004, Anglesea developed the load reduction protocol; a tool requiring the control room operators to reduce the station load, thereby reducing the emissions from the stack when elevated ground level concentrations (GLCs) were detected at any of the six ambient sulphur dioxide monitoring stations. Until August last year, only half of the stations were equipped with telemetry back to the control room. Over time, this tool has been progressively improved with more stringent alarms in place, and telemetry installed on all ambient stations, enabling real time data to be fed back to the station. This has significantly reduced peak SO2 ambient concentrations, and year to date Anglesea is complying with the Policy, with zero exceedances. Earlier this year the consultants from ENVIRON were commissioned by Alcoa to implement the fully automated Early Warning (EW) tool to ensure that ambient SO2 concentrations do not exceed Alcoa’s internal target of 170 ppb. This limit is a lower target to comply with, and hence a bigger challenge, than the Victorian limit of 200 parts per billion averaged over a 1 hour period. It’s only when an hourly reading over 200 ppb is recorded that a non compliance is noted. Previously ENVIRON have rolled out similar technology with Kalgoorlie Gold Mine to reduce the ground level impact of their sulphur dioxide emissions on the surrounding townships. A trial was conducted earlier in the year using five years of historical data to identify the critical weather conditions that contribute to elevated GLCs. The most problematic periods of the year are those of over Winter and early Spring months, when strong northerly winds are typically experienced. The Early Warning tool comprises a predictive and reactive system, and can be considered more sophisticated than the current load reduction system, which is purely a reactive tool. The reactive facet to the EW tool is based on a series of alarms being generated if the ambient concentrations exceed nominated trigger values, similar to our Load Reduction Protocol. However, the predictive system is based on the use of a forecast model to predict the meteorological conditions that have the potential to give rise to peak SO2 concentrations. The predictive tool will also indicate when to increase load again. ENVIRON have developed the algorithms specifically adapted for the Anglesea conditions and terrain, with the existing PI software already employed in the control process recently being upgraded in order to accommodate the EW tool. Once the implementation has been completed, two new screens will be established in the control room to help the operators interpret the incoming data and alarms. Anglesea is also seeking to establish another meteorological station north of the station, which will provide up wind information to further enhance the EW tool. Potential sites are currently being reviewed for suitability The focus on sulphur dioxide year to date is reflected with our progress of complying with the policy, and no exceedances of the 200 ppb experienced in over 12 months! PLANTS OF THE ANGLESEA HEATH BLUE SQUILL or BLUE STARS (Chamaescilla corymbosa) Chamaescilla Chamaescilla...from the Greek, khamai meaning dwarf or on the ground, and skilla which is the classic name for the seaonion Urginea maritima corymbosa corymbosa...full of corymbs, flat topped flower heads Size: Habitat: Form: Foliage: Flowers: Did you know? 7-20m H x 10-20m W red gum woodland, damp and valley sclerophyll forests and grassy low open forest tiny perennial herb few basal, dull green, narrow grass-like leaves to 15cm long, often smaller, lying flat on the ground open terminal clusters of 1 - 10 bright blue flowers to 15mm wide, individual flowers only last one day August to November plants die back to tuberous rootstock in dry weather, these tubers were harvested for food by the Aboriginals BLUE SQUILL ANGLESEA ENVIRONMENT REPORT SEPTEMBER 2008 LAND RAINFALL (mm) Month JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT 2008 Rainfall 19.8 35.8 15.2 17.3 32.5 43.8 75.8 61.6 40.0 341.8 1968-2007 Average 44.5 42.7 41.1 52.5 61.0 59.9 62.2 65.3 67.7 496.8 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 . 9 1.3 0.8 0.8 2.1 0.8 0.8 1.5 2.0 0.8 Amenity 11.6 1.5 1.3 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.2 0.1 0.2 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 1.40 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 SEPTEMBER 2008 environmental improvement Environmental Management Targets September 2008 YTD Forecast 2008 Target Reportable Environmental Incidents 0 0 0 0 Monthly EHS ASAT Audit Completion (%) 100 100 100 90 Air Emission Targets September 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) 6241 17120 22827 N/A GHG Efficiency (t CO2 e/MWh) 1.21 1.20 1.20 1.20 Opacity (10 min av > 0.25g/m normal operation) 0 0 0 0 Water Targets September 2008 YTD Forecast 2008 Target Town Water (ML) 1.0 12.2 16.8 14.2 Bore Water (ML) 272 2419 3225 2370 Waste Targets September 2008 YTD Forecast 2008 Target Waste to Landfill (t) 0.0 4.5 6.0 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 Luke, what has been your role in the development of the Early Warning System? I’ve been involved in the interface with the Honeywell Control System and the PI System. I also played a part in getting the additional telemetry for the on SO2 monitoring stations up and running. These feed in reactive data to the Early Warning System, which are then coupled with predictive forecasting data. The SO2 telemetry system will now also include a weather station to the North of the power station. How does this System benefit the Power Station? The Early Warning System will provide additional information for the control room operators to better manage our SO2 emissions and, in turn, ground level concentrations in Anglesea. When will the Project be completed? The development of this System has been going for two months and it is intended that it will be completed by November. Of course, if opportunities to improve the system become apparent further changes can always be made. How has the Project been challenging? Because this is new technology for Alcoa Anglesea, the design of the system itself has been challenging, particularly the modelling and implementing the software in our unique situation. ...LUKE WEBB