200903 march env report

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