All states, territories and the Australian Government have collaborated to develop a PFAS National Environmental Management Plan (PFAS NEMP) version 2.0. The final PFAS NEMP 2.0 was agreed by Heads of EPAs in October 2019. The PFAS NEMP 2.0 is now being implemented in the Commonwealth and other jurisdictions. AEA has several in-house specialists with a history in reviewing and auditing sites affected by PFAS. Please contact us for case studies and to find out how we can help you. Read more information and access the PFAS NEMP here.
BREAKING NEWS: Commencement of the new Victorian Environment Protection Amendment Act 2018 has been postponed until 1 July 2021. Read the details here.
Congratulations to Shandel Coleman for becoming an auditor in Queensland! This is a huge milestone to your professional career and a huge asset to our team at AEA. Well done and well deserved!
On behalf of the whole team at AEA we want to congratulate Kevin Masterton for becoming an auditor in Queensland! Your persistence and hard work has created a huge success for you. Well done Kev!
The twins (Mia Autumn and Eva Violet) were safely born into the Pearce family on the 6th of April. From all of the AEA team, congratulations to Jean-Paul, Mel and Finn – a beautiful time to be at home with your new family. We hope you all settle in and no doubt having three kids under 2 in the house will be a lot of fun!
AEA would like to welcome Hyatt Phan to the team. Hyatt has taken on the role of Administration & HR Officer and is based in our Melbourne office. Her energy and efficiency has already been a refreshing touch to our great team.
We get asked “How much will an audit cost?” almost every day. Auditors generally charge by an hourly rate. The rates vary depending on the experience and requirement of the auditor chosen. There are many factors for why the cost of an audit would differ. Some of these variables to consider may include: Nature and extent of contamination; Timing and quality of the consultants assessment and remediation work; Complexity of the site and future use; Number of documents for audit review; and, Need for a site inspection. If you engage an auditor early in the process then this may result in significant cost savings by reducing any possible project delays. Best case scenario would be a site that has undertaken due diligence prior to purchasing and has resulted in minimal contamination impact to human health and the environment, complemented with good quality consultant reports for auditor review. A more complicated scenario may be a proposed mixed-use site purchased on a contaminated property without any due diligence (resulting in further testing and remediation works) together with poor quality consultant reports and engaging an environmental auditor late in the process. What types of documents do Auditors need to review? Auditors review all sorts of documents, including results from soil sampling and analysis, groundwater monitoring events, remediation action plans, site environmental management plans, planning and development plans, any other relevant documents at the request of the auditor to assist in the audit outcome. Important Note Although those Auditors with more years’ experience may have a higher hourly rate, they may add value by completing document reviews quicker or pick up on issues for faster attention by the client. Choosing the right Auditor for your project will make a difference to the project’s bottom line. At AEA, we have seven Auditors with multiple accreditations/appointments across the country and a variety of disciplines. Call one of our offices to find the right Auditor to suit your project.
As you may or may not be aware, as of the 1st of July 2019, EPA Victoria no longer accepts paper waste transport certificates for the movement of Prescribed Industrial Waste (PIW) in Victoria; this includes licensed receivers (e.g. landfills, treatment facilities) for contaminated soil. The Directors and staff at Australian Environmental Auditors (AEA) feel it is our duty to inform our stakeholders, and particularly those that may be effected by this new system, that you are now required to submit waste transport certificates electronically. The new system will enable EPA to monitor the movement of waste more efficiently and accurately. This will help to prevent potential harm to human health and the environment. Here’s what you need to know: Every producer, transporter and receiver using waste transport certificates must register. Electronic certificates are free of charge until 30 June 2020. Forms are only accessible/compatible using Internet Explorer from a desktop only. Save time and create a template when needing numerous, similar certificates. There are three parts to a waste transport certificate: Here’s what to do: Create an account on the EPA Interaction Portal (register on behalf of a business) or Log In if you already have an account. If you are producing waste, select ‘Waste transport certificates’ on the left-hand side and create the appropriate certificate (you can also save time and set up a template for future use). Note EPA require submission on the day of works, not prior to. Once completed, click ‘view and print’. Watch the video tutorial here. Or read the user guide here. There is also a Q&A section on the EPA website that may be helpful. On behalf of all of us at AEA, thanks, kind regards and good luck with the new system.
We are thrilled to congratulate Alyson on a huge milestone and well-deserved achievement of becoming an auditor. Alyson has recently achieved accreditation as a Site Auditor in NSW. Prior to this, she has been a passionate team member at AEA for over 5 years as audit support including expert support in quantitative human health risk assessment. Alyson has an impressive background in environmental engineering and science with over 20 years’ experience in the contaminated land industry. She has completed audits, risk assessments and environmental assessments for a diverse range of land uses including chemical and automotive manufacturing plants, gasworks, depots, commercial and residential properties, petroleum terminals and service station sites. In her spare time, Alyson enjoys slow cycling and bushwalking, dabbles in various styles of dance and is active in several community groups. Get in contact with Alyson today to chat about your projects.
Nick is an experienced Environmental Auditor and has recently joined our team. He is appointed in VIC and WA and has been involved in the contaminated sites industry around the world for more than 32 years. Complementing his environmental consulting and auditing skills, Nick has also worked in the military (soil and terrain evaluation) and mining sectors, and has some extraordinary stories to share. Nick has a wealth of experience in hydrogeology assessments, soil mapping, water wellfield development, and rural water supply schemes for remote communities throughout Southern Africa. Nick enjoys remote high altitude trekking in Nepal and Africa with his wife. He has also been part of Melbourne Oxfam Trailwalker (100km event) for several years. Drop Nick a line or send him an email to talk through your projects.