Around the grounds
A marketplace of news and activities from around the state including upcoming roadshows, community drop-ins, site sampling and more.
Supporting the community though flood recovery centres
EPA's Alexandria Pinto assists at flood recovery centre at Windsor
Our officers have been helping out at disaster recovery centres around the state, set up to support flooded communities.
We have fielded questions about sewage, asbestos waste, household chemicals and gas bottles, riverbank erosion, management of mud and sand washed ashore, green waste, mould and much more.
If you are in a flood-affected community and have questions about flood waste management, please check our website here.
Road show schedule reminder
The state-wide, interactive EPA Roadshow series for our stakeholders kicked off with sessions in Sydney and Sutherland. We will have a break over Easter and then will continue until June with forums in Orange, Wagga and Batemans Bay coming up next before we move to the north of the state, wrapping up with the last session in Gunnedah on 23 June.
More information and the schedule https://www.epa.nsw.gov.au/working-together/roadshows/regulated-stakeholders-roadshow
Clean-up underway at AMPOL fuel terminal at Kurnell
EPA samples waterways after Kurnell treatment plant discharge
Our EPA officers were onsite and investigating uncontrolled discharges of oily water at Kurnell in Sydney’s south, following the failure of a pump at a wastewater treatment plant at the AMPOL fuel terminal earlier in April.
We are ensuring the clean-up of wastewater by AMPOL is managed properly and completed as quickly as possible and we are investigating the incident and will consider regulatory action if breaches of environment protection legislation are found.
Water samples were collected in the area by AMPOL and independently by the EPA to gauge the contamination level.
Action
Residents can report impacts to their property to the AMPOL hotline on 1800 802 385
Report wildlife that have been affected by the oil residue please call 1800 814 647.
Groundwater monitoring at Rhodes Peninsula
EPA is overseeing Canada Bay Council's groundwater monitoring at Rhodes
Our officers are overseeing the Canada Bay Council’s groundwater monitoring program across the remediated, former Union Carbide and Lednez (UCAL) site on Rhodes Peninsula. The monitoring is needed to check that the remediated landforms are performing as designed, and to confirm there are no impacts to the surrounding environment.
There are over 1,900 monitoring points in the residential properties across the area and we are helping to inform and reassure the community with updated fact sheets in five community languages – Korean, Hindi, Arabic, Chinese and Simplified Chinese as well as English.
Second stage of soil sampling at Port Kembla
EPA samples soil for lead or other metals on request from residents in Port Kembla
Our officers were out and about in Port Kembla during March in the second phase of sampling soils for lead and other heavy metals on private properties. Residents in the area have been able to request sampling and testing in their yards and gardens.
Soil in the area is impacted from its industrial history including fall-out from a former copper smelter. Officers tested soils, chatted with local residents and provided sample results. Initial testing on public sites has shown levels below those of concern. Find out more