Industry Update

October/November/December 2007
Edition 25

Welcome to Industry Update, EPA Victoria's electronic newsletter, providing information to industry and other groups about relevant EPA programs and activities.

Please take the time to read the newsletter – EPA welcomes your feedback on this service.

Waste Management

• EPA HazWaste Fund
• EPA releases soil sampling guideline
• Liquid trade waste management training
• Sustainability Covenant
• Prescribed industrial waste database

Regulations

• Environment and Resource Efficiency Plans Update
• New Protocol for Environmental Management on Mining and Extractive Industries
• Taking licencing in a new direction

Library

• EPA’s Library Services
• EPA Annual Report

 

Waste

EPA HazWaste Fund

The Victorian Government has established a Hazardous Waste Fund (HazWaste) to support the manufacturing industry in investing in new technologies for reuse, recycling, reprocessing and recovery of industrial waste.

Through the HazWaste Fund, EPA can provide funding and assistance to companies,consultants,technology providers,academic/research institutions or other key stakeholders who want to:-

• upgrade existing plant or equipment
• install new technology to minimise/recover hazardous waste or contaminated soil
• undertake research and development projects to investigate hazardous waste reduction opportunities

If you would like to discuss your ideas for reducing hazardous waste please contact our business sustainability team at business.programs@epa.vic.gov.au or for more information please refer to our website

• Get more infromation on the HazWaste Fund

EPA releases soil sampling guideline

EPA’s new soil sampling guideline provides:-

• guidance on classifying and reusing fill material for offsite reuse
• the pattern and number of samples to be taken
• acceptance requirements for disposal facilities receiving contaminated soils

• View the information bulletin – Soil sampling guideline (off-site management and acceptance to landfill) Publication 1178, November 2007

Liquid trade waste management training

This is a course developed in partnership with VicWater and the National Centre for Sustainability, Swinburne University of Technology. The course includes key components towards a Workplace Certificate IV in Liquid Trade Waste Management.

• More information on this training course

 

New Sustainability Covenant
Veolia Environmental Services (VES) and EPA have signed a Sustainability Covenant to enhance EPA and VES’s ability to help achieve sustainability outcomes, and reduce hazardous waste disposal, across the Victorian manufacturing sector.
For full details about the convenant visit http://www.epa.vic.gov.au/bus/sustainability_covenants/veolia.asp

Prescribed industrial waste database

EPA’s prescribed industrial waste (PIW) database is a valuable tool to help locate prescribed industrial waste treaters, disposers and permitted transporters.

Search by your PIW category and waste type to find waste treaters/disposers or waste transporters in your local area.

• Access the PIW database
  

Regulations

Environment and Resource Efficiency Plans Update
EREP is a new innovative regulatory program to help businesses reduce water, energy and materials use. Registration for the EREP program will take place between 1 January and 31 March 2008. All industrial, commercial and institutional sites using more than 100 terajoules of energy or 120 megalitres of water must register during that time. From 1 January 2008, an on-line self-assessment tool and registration application will be available on the EPA website. This tool is designed to make it easy as possible for businesses to register and reflects the way we will be aiming to serve clients involved in regulatory programs in the future.

• More information about the erep program

New Protocol for Environmental Management on Mining and Extractive Industries
EPA has released a Protocol for Environmental Management (PEM) on mining and extractive industries. It is an incorporated document of the State environment protection policy (Air Quality Management) 2001 (SEPP AQM). It supports the interpretation of SEPP (AQM) and sets out the statutory requirements for the management of emissions to the air environment arising from activities undertaken in the operation of mining and extractive industries.

• View the publication – Protocol for Environmental Management State Environment Protection Policy (Air Quality Management) Mining and Extractive Industries Publication 1191, December 2007

Taking licencing in a new direction
EPA has introduced corporate licencing for Victorian businesses. For companies this means a reduction on the paperwork and costs attached to licencing. This type of licence will enable EPA to assess the environmental performance of a business more broadly (beyond site specific impacts) while continuing to reduce emissions impacts. It also provides companies with greater flexibility to adopt a ‘whole-of-business’ approach to managing and improving their envirnomental performance, enabling better environmental outcomes by focussing on areas of greatest gain.

• View the information bulletin on corporate licencing
• View Current applications for Works Approval or Licences open for comment

 

Library

EPA’s Library Services
Membership to EPA Victoria library’s corporate client subscription service entitles individuals, organisations and libraries to access a wide range of environmental information resources, new publications and progressive library services.

• Get more information on library subscription service

 

EPA Annual Report

EPA releases annual report for 2006/2007 highlighting achievements and environmental outcomes