fire front A DSE planned burn approaches Alcoa Anglesea alcoa anglesea 2009 environment report march ANGLESEA ENVIRONMENT REPORT MARCH 2009 air Air Monitoring Stack Monitors Average Maximum Opacity g/m3 10-minute average 0.076 0.192 Stack SO2 kg/min 1-hour average Licence limit 100kg/min 69.17 80.91 SO2 1 hour ppb Average Maximum Community Centre 0 45 Primary School 1 106 Mt Ingoldsby 1 43 Scout Camp 4 212 Camp Wilkin 1 126 Camp Road 1 97 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 0 0 11 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 45 1 0 43 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 Primary School 0 0 50 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 50 1 0 106 0 0 0 0 0 0 23 0 0 0 Mt Ingoldsby 0 1 43 1 0 1 0 0 5 0 1 27 12 1 0 0 0 5 0 38 1 1 2 0 1 0 1 9 0 3 Scout Camp 0 1 9 87 0 0 0 1 8 0 0 0 3 1 0 1 15 3 0 23 11 0 2 Camp Wilkin 0 0 118 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 1 29 4 0 0 0 0 59 2 0 126 1 0 2 0 0 0 4 1 0 1 Camp Road 0 1 0 0 0 0 6 0 1 0 7 2 0 0 4 0 2 4 0 0 32 5 1 2 EPA Air Quality Objective 200 Alcoa Local Standard 170 74 6 3 9 149112 73 0 7 3 7 212 0 22 0 97 0 ANGLESEA ENVIRONMENT REPORT MARCH 2009 water Water Storage Barwon Water storage levels for the Geelong system at 19.9% capacity. Stage 4 restrictions apply with a Winter exemption to permit limited residential garden watering. Water Discharge ML March Total Ashponds (SP1) 149 411 Mine (SP4) 0 0 Water Monitoring SP1 SP4 SP3 24/03/2009 Ashpond Mine Final EPA limit Lab Result EPA limit Lab Result EPA limit Lab Result pH 4-10 7.8 3-9 no 5-9 7.4 Susp. Solids 100 <4 100 discharge 30 <4 Colour 50 4 50 at 50 5 Aluminium 10 0.14 10 time 5.5 0.052 Iron 10 0.22 20 of 4.0 0.12 Zinc 0.4 0.022 2.0 sampling 0.30 0.012 WATER WATER USAGE PER MONTH (ML) Date JAN FEB MAR APR Town Water 2.5 1.0 1.5 5.0 Bore Water 288 270 281 839 Mine Water 46 53 54 153 MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC TOTAL ANGLESEA ENVIRONMENT REPORT MARCH 2009 fuel-reduction burn Strategic fuel reduction burns are generally conducted in order to reduce the bush fire risk in future seasons. The bush fire risk was incredibly real for Alcoa Anglesea on Saturday March 28, when a Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) fuel-reduction burn appropached the perimeter of our operations. High priority burns are currently occurring along the Otway Coast - Great Ocean Road as part of DSE’s fuel-reduction strategy. Planned burns are proven to reduce bush fire risk and protect communities and assets by reducing the fuel load. A number of burns are also important for managing ecosystem health. A planned burn was initiated by DSE on Friday March 27 on a parcel of land to the north of the Power Station, about 3 km from the Anglesea Township. However, around 15:45 the fire had broken containment lines and was approaching our operations. The CFA were called on site shortly after as our coal stockpiles were threatened. A bulldozer from the mine was employed to create a containment line at our fencline and our 60,000L water tanker was used to wet the coal stockpiles and around the perimeter fence. The water tanker was also used for fire suppression within the plant boundary fence. Our ash ponds and fire services dam were also provided to DSE for refilling of water bombing helicopters. By 16:30 the fire was up to the Alcoa Anglesea fenceline. However, the wind direction changed and pushed the fire away from our operations. The fire was officially termed “controlled” on Monday 30 March at 12:00. The total area burnt was 607 ha. Great work by our employees, combined with DSE and CFA, ensured all personnel remained safe throughout the ordeal and no assets were lost. DSE have several more fuel reduction burns planned for the coming months in order to reduce the fire risk to Anglesea - stay tuned! PLANT OF THE ANGLESEA HEATH BLUE PINCUSHION (Brunonia australis) Brunonia....after Robert Brown (1773-1858), often regarded as the greatest British botanist of the 19th century who explored widely in Australia australis... from Latin, australis, southern, referring to the geographical distribution of the species Size: 10 - 50 cm high Form: perennial herb Habitat: widespread in a range of habitats in all Australian states and territories, tea-tree heath, dry and valley sclerophyll forests, red gum woodland, plains grassland Foliage: rosette of spoon-shaped, elliptical light green hairy leaves at the base of the plant to 100mm long Flowers: dense blue pincushion-like flowerheads on stems to 50cm high October to January BRUNONIA AUSTRALIS ANGLESEA ENVIRONMENT REPORT MARCH 2009 LAND RAINFALL (mm) Month JAN FEB MAR APR 2009 Rainfall 5.0 5.8 1968-2008 Average 43.9 42.5 40.4 MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC TOTAL 43.4 32.6 126.8 WATER TOWN WATER USE (ML) FEB MAR APR Process 23.9 2000 2008 2009 JAN 15.5 4.5 2.5 0.8 1.2 Amenity 11.6 1.5 0.5 0.0 0.2 0.3 MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC AIR GREENHOUSE GAS (GHG) TOTAL (Mt) & GHG EMISSION EFFICENCY (t/MWh) GHG Mt GHG t/MWh 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 1.23 1.27 1.50 1.45 1.47 1.31 1.49 1.40 1.42 1.45 1.24 1.19 1.21 1.21 1.20 1.21 1.20 1.18 1.20 1.22 ANGLESEA ENVIRONMENT REPORT MARCH 2009 environmental improvement Environmental Management Targets March 2009 Total Forecast 2009 Target Reportable Environmental Incidents 1 1 1 0 Env Near Miss vs Env Incident Run Rate (ratio) 3.5 2 2.0 2.5 Monthly EHS ASAT Audit Completion (%) 100 89 89 90 Air Emission Targets March 2009 Total Forecast 2009 Target Ambient SO2 (no. readings > 200ppb) 1 2 2 0 Stack SO2 (no. hrs > 100kg/min) 0 0 0 0 SO2 Load Reductions (lost MWh) 3558 5460 21841 N/A GHG Efficiency (t CO2 e/MWh) 1.22 1.22 1.22 1.20 Opacity (10 min av > 0.25g/m normal operation) 0 0 0 0 Water Targets March 2009 Total Forecast 2009 Target Town Water (ML) 1.5 5.0 20 14.1 Bore Water (ML) 281 839 3356 4000 Waste Targets March 2009 Total Forecast 2009 Target Waste to Landfill (t) 0.0 0.0 0.0 8.0 Solid Prescribed Waste to Landfill (t) 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 3 Mine Rehabilitation Targets 2009 Total 2009 Target 2009 Area to Clear (ha) 0.245 0.0 2009 Area to Rehabilitate (ha) 0.658 0.0 OUR ENVIRONMENT AND OUR EMPLOYEE Hi Garry, what is your role at the Power Station? I am a Power Station Operator 6 (Shift Supervisor/Unit Controller). This means that I lead the team of four operators on shift. Can you explain the events that occurred during the recent fire? How close did it come to the station? The fire had proceeded beyond the planned boundary of the controlled burn and into the swamp on the west side of the station. Fire activity increased during the day and was moving slowly towards the station’s emergency coal stockpile. The fire came to the station boundary fence which is within 50m of the emergency coal stockpile. What actions did you and other Alcoa personnel have to take to assist in protecting our assets? Wetting sprays were put on the emergency coal stockpile “just in case”. The CFA were notified and ERT personnel from the mine responded. The mine water cart was used to wet down the bush on the perimeter fence, and the mine tracked dozer was used to put a mineral earth break around the edge of the fire. ...GARRY PARIS