Contaminated sites are pieces of land including the soil, sediment and surface and ground water that have become polluted with materials or agents which may present a risk to human health, the environment or environmental values. Contamination may have arisen from a range of human activities including by industry and needs to be properly managed, often through remediation.
Legislation
The Contaminated Sites Act 2003 (CS Act) and the associated Contaminated Sites Regulations 2006 came into effect on 1 December 2006. The CS Act is the most progressive contaminated sites legislation in Australia and is intended to complement, rather than duplicate, existing legislation.
The CS Act provides a stronger legal framework for reporting, assessment and management of contaminated sites than was previously available. This is important in view of the fact that an increasing number of potentially contaminated sites are being proposed for redevelopment for commercial or residential purposes. The Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) administers the CS Act but the Environmental Health Directorate of the Department of Health of WA provides advice on the public health aspects of contamination. WA Health involvement helps to ensure that the process and result of site cleanup do not expose nearby communities and eventual tenants and residents to unacceptable air, soil or water contaminant levels.
Guidelines
WA Health has developed a range of guidance material relating to the investigation and management of contaminated sites, and most especially on asbestos which is a human rather than an environmental concern.
The asbestos-contaminated sites guidance material listed below was released in May 2009. The Asbestos Guidelines - Explanatory Note provides an outline on how to implement the Guidelines for the Assessment, Remediation and Management of Asbestos-Contaminated Sites in Western Australia – May 2009. The Guidelines are a joint DEC and WA Health publication which makes use of substantial input from other regulators, environmental consultants and auditors, and the private sector. They are the most comprehensive guidance of their type in Australia.
The Guidance Note on management of small-scale low-risk soil asbestos contamination describes a simplified process for handling some contaminated sites and is intended for use by Local Government Environmental Health Officers. It is discussed in Section 1.2.4 and included as Appendix B of the Guidelines.
Factsheets
The following fact sheets provide information on asbestos-contaminated soil:
The Information Brochure is recommended for use by developers to provide information and reassurance to prospective or existing owners and occupiers of a managed asbestos-contaminated site. The document is a template and is also provided in Microsoft Word so that site specific information can be incorporated especially where highlighted. The Brochure is discussed in Section 5.3 and included as Appendix E of the Guidelines.
Useful Websites
[Top of page]
Last Updated: Tuesday 2 June 2009
