National Environment Protection Council
EPHC Archive - Assessment of Site Contamination NEPM
Caution: archived content
Information previously available on the Environment Protection and Heritage Council (EPHC) website (www.ephc.gov.au) is listed in this archive. These pages are no longer being maintained or updated but remain here as an archive for your information.
What's currently happening
For current information about the Assessment of Site Contamination NEPM see:
ASC NEPM Variation 2010
Public consultation
Summary of public submissions
Background
NOTE: public consultation on the ASC NEPM is now closed.
The Assessment of Site Contamination NEPM is the premier guidance document in Australia for the assessment of site contamination. It addresses a complex area that is particularly subject to new developments in scientific knowledge and technology, as recognised during the original development of the NEPM.
With the high cost of assessment and remediation, it was recognised by NEPC that new scientific and technical information needed to be incorporated into the NEPM. This would serve to minimise overly conservative investigation levels and provide clarification on the site investigation process, and ultimately minimise unnecessary remediation.
In June 2007, NEPC initiated the variation to the Assessment of Site Contamination NEPM. Since that time, the project team has developed a draft varied Assessment of Site Contamination NEPM (including revised schedules) that address the review recommendations endorsed by NEPC in 2006.
- Review report - 2006
The major changes included in the draft varied Assessment of Site Contamination NEPM are:
- new and improved methodologies for deriving Ecological Investigation Levels (Schedule B5A) and Health Investigation Levels (Schedule B4)
- incorporation of Health Screening Levels and Ecological Screening Levels for petroleum hydrocarbons (Schedule B1)
- incorporation of guidance for assessing asbestos impacts (Schedules B1 and B2)
- incorporation of guidance on stockpile sampling (Schedule B2), contaminant leachability (Schedule B3) and bioavailability (Schedule B4)
- incorporation of guidance for assessment of volatile substances (Schedules B1, B2 and B4).
The draft varied Assessment of Site Contamination NEPM also incorporates improved guidance on:
- the site assessment process (Schedule A)
- site characterisation (Schedule B2) including:
- the role of the conceptual site model and data quality objectives in site assessment
- collection of appropriate field data for modelling and assessment purposes
- delineation of the lateral and vertical extent of contamination
- groundwater assessment methods
- laboratory methods and techniques (Schedule B3)
- community engagement (Schedule B8)
- expected competencies of consultants and auditors engaged in site assessment work (Schedule B9).
Documents released for public consultation
- (Draft) NEPM as varied (incorporating Schedule A) (PDF - 307.98 KB)
- Impact Statement (PDF - 381.45 KB) - September 2010
- Submission template (DOC - 130.5 KB)
- Schedule B1: Guideline on investigation levels for soil & groundwater (PDF - 1.27 MB)
- Schedule B2: Guideline on site characterisation (PDF - 2.63 MB)
- Schedule B3: Guideline on laboratory analysis of potentially contaminated soils (PDF - 1.53 MB)
- Schedule B4: Guideline on site-specific health risk assessments (PDF - 1.59 MB)
- Schedule B5a: Guideline on ecological risk assessments (PDF - 846.46 KB)
- Schedule B5b: Guideline on methodology to derive EILs (PDF - 1.69 MB)
- Schedule B5c: Guideline on soil quality guidelines (PDF - 3.22 MB)
- Schedule B6: Guideline on risk based assessment on groundwater contamination (PDF - 294.27 KB)
- Schedule B7: Guideline on health-based investigation levels (PDF - 1.43 MB)
- Schedule B7 - Appendix A1 - Metals and Inorganics (PDF - 1.72 MB)
- Schedule B7 - Appendix A2 - PAHs and Phenols (PDF - 563.62 KB)
- Schedule B7 - Appendix A3 - PCBs and PBDEs (PDF - 351.48 KB)
- Schedule B7 - Appendix A4 - Volatile Chlorinated (PDF - 628.72 KB)
- Schedule B7 - Appendix A5 - Phenoxyacetic acid herbicides and other pesticides (PDF - 655.34 KB)
- Schedule B7 - Appendix B - Equations for derivation of soil HILs (PDF - 392.48 KB)
- Schedule B7 - Appendix C - Blood Lead Model (PDF - 87.75 KB)
- Schedule B8: Guideline on community engagement & risk communication (PDF - 601.11 KB)
- Schedule B9: Guideline on competencies & acceptance of environmental auditors (PDF - 275.25 KB)
Public consultation meetings
From Tuesday, 12 October 2010 - Tuesday 26 October 2010, public consultation meetings were held in Adelaide, Canberra, Melbourne, Hobart, Sydney, Brisbane, Darwin and Perth.
Presentations
- ASC NEPM - Public Consultation Meetings - Introduction - 28 October 2010 (PDF - 522.78 KB)
- ASC NEPM - Public Consultation Meetings - Summary of Major Changes - 28 October 2010 (PDF - 439.06 KB)
- NEPM - Public Consultation Meetings - Asbestos - 28 October 2010 (PDF - 412.74 KB)
Posters
- Poster 1 - Overview of Variation - 28 October 2010 (PDF - 44.48 KB)
- Poster 2 - General process for assessment of site contamination - 28 October 2010 (PDF - 66.04 KB)
- Poster 3 - Investigation levels and screening levels - 28 October 2010 (PDF - 194.16 KB)
- Poster 4 - Petroleum hydrocarbons - 28 October 2010 (PDF - 45.89 KB)
- Poster 5 - Asbestos - 28 October 2010 (PDF - 180.97 KB)
- Poster 6 - Health risk - 28 October 2010 (PDF - 91.97 KB)
- Poster 7 - Ecological risk assessment - 28 October 2010 (PDF - 43.94 KB)
- Poster 8 - Site characterisation - 28 October 2010 (PDF - 177.82 KB)
- Poster 9 - Schedules B3, B8 and B9 - 28 October 2010 (PDF - 51.1 KB)
Review of the NEPM - 2004
A review of the NEPM commenced in 2004. In June 2007, NEPC agreed to initiate a process to vary the NEPM based on recommendations made in the NEPM review.
The proposed variation will ensure that the NEPM remains the premier document for the assessment of site contamination in Australia by drawing on the latest methodologies for assessing human and ecological risk from site contamination, and updating guidance on site assessment methods in line with technological changes in Australia and overseas.
- Review Report: National Environment Protection (Assessment of Site Contamination) Measure Review (PDF - 305.88 KB) - September 2006
- NEPM Review Discussion Paper (PDF - 469.1 KB) - April 2006
- Summary of submissions received in relation to the issues paper for the Review of the Assessment of Site Contamination NEPM (PDF - 259.42 KB) - April 2006
- Issues Paper: Review of the Assessment of Site Contamination NEPM (PDF - 468.81 KB) - May 2005