MANAGING LEAD CONTAMINATION LESSONS FROM BUNKER HILL, IDAHO, USA
Dr Alice Howe
Executive Manager – Business Development
30 March 2017
Credit: Newcastle Herald
Overview
Background to contamination in Lake Macquarie
Managing Lead in Bunker Hill
Practices potentially transferable to Lake Macquarie
Credit: Ralph Snowball Collection
Pasminco smelter legacy
Credit: Ralph Snowball Collection
Pasminco smelter legacy
Credit: Newcastle Herald
Pasminco smelter legacy
Credit: Ferrier Hodgson
Pasminco smelter legacy
Credit: USEPA and Google Maps
Silver Valley Site History
Credit: Panhandle Health District
Silver Valley Site History
Credit: Panhandle Health District
Silver Valley Site History
Credit: Panhandle Health District
Silver Valley Site History
Credit: Terra Graphics
Bunker Hill Superfund Site
Credit: TerraGraphics
Lead in Soil in the Box
Credit: Panhandle Health District, Idaho Department of Environmental Quality
Human Health Impacts
The Bunker Hill Remedy
Primary objectives:
- reduce childhood lead absorption to <5 µg/dL
- reduce community lead concentration to 350 ppm
Key elements of the remedy
- health intervention
- surface and groundwater treatment
- creation of barriers
- dedicated contaminated soil repositories
- institutional controls program
Partnership arrangements
Health intervention
Credit: Panhandle Health District
Surface and groundwater management
Credit: Panhandle Health District
Creation of barriers
Creation of barriers
Credit: Panhandle Health District
Dedicated repositories
Credit: Panhandle Health District
Dedicated repositories
Credit: Terra Graphics
Credit: Terra Graphics
Panhandle Health District’s
Institutional Controls Program
• maintains contaminated land database
• licences all work that interferes with
a barrier
• conducts soil testing
• provides OHS materials
• authorises disposal of material to
repositories
• enforces soil management measures
• conducts regular blood lead testing
and investigation
• provides clean capping material annually
• delivers community education
Potentially transferrable practices
Clear mapping of contamination and remediation
Community based contamination threshold
Clear identification of remediation using marker layers
Simple approvals process for any works that disturb
contaminated soil or interfere with a barrier
Voluntary prioritised soil assessment and yard
remediation program
Effective community awareness program
The Lake Macquarie Lead Expert Working
Group
• The LEWG released 13 findings and 22
recommendations in December 2016:
http://www.epa.nsw.gov.au/MediaInformation/
lead-expert-working-group.htm
• Majority of transferrable practices from
Bunker Hill have been incorporated
• Awaiting response from Government
Additional local measures
Improved contaminated land management procedures
• expand mapping of known contamination and remediation
• coordinate voluntary soil assessment and property
remediation
• follow up on any HNEH investigations regarding high blood
leads to identify site remediation options
• manage access to local repository (with Newcastle City
Council)
• develop acceptable solutions that don’t require preparation
of a RAP by a site contamination auditor (subject to EPA
concurrence)
Additional local measures
Community engagement
• identify point of contact for community enquiries about living
with lead and voluntary management measures
• regularly engage with HNEH regarding GP blood leads and
outcomes of follow up investigations
• expand engagement collateral to include advice on
maintaining barriers and personal hygiene, and improve links
to and from HNEH information
Additional State measures
Establish a contamination management fund
• soil disposal and repository management
• local property soil assessment and remediation program
• management of contaminated land database and site
assessment
• community engagement program
Amend planning requirements
• require development consent for development on
contaminated land (>300ppm) (ie amend Codes SEPP)
• require state agencies and utilities to adopt comparable
management practices to Council/private landowners
Additional State measures
Improve human health engagement
• provide regular updates to Council on leading practice in
management of public health with respect to lead
• provide regular updates to Council on blood leads results and
subsequent investigations
• maintain public health information and linkages to Council’s
engagement program
Endorse management approach
• accept standard RAP approach applied through DCP
• accept local changes to SEPP55 requirements or amend the SEPP
Thanks to USEPA, Idaho DEQ, Panhandle Health District
Greg Piper MP and Matt James (EPA)
see Mr Piper’s video of our trip at
https://youtu.be/7SgrrNoy30Q
or contact me: [email protected], 4921 0337