Adopted Minutes

Thursday 11 October 2001

PRESENT

Robin Saunders

CICCC Chairperson

John Luppino

City of Maribyr, GM City Dev /committee

Faye Simpson

community rep./ committee

Jarrod Edwards

WorkCover / committee

Trevor Perkins

commander /MF&ESB/ex off comm

Deborah Macfarlane

community rep./ CICCC committee

Carlo Fasolino

Op. Manager Terminals / committee

Ian Thomas

community rep./ committee

Ted Towson

community rep./ committee

Dr Peter Brotherton

Combined Enviro. Groups / committee

George Horman

Terminals Pty Ltd / committee

Michael Isaachsen

community rep./ committee

Cameron Fitzgerald

Environ. Protec Auth / ex off comm

Allen Hugli

Chief Financial Officer, Burns, Philp &

Company Limited/CICCC Committee

Michael Ragen

Cash Controller, Burns, Philp &

Company Limited/CICCC Committee

Robyn Betts

Office of the Emerg. Services Commiss.

Colleen Hartland

HazMAG

Peter Whelan

HazMAG

Geoff Millard

Terminals Nat. Safety & Env. Manager

Alex Mikov

Env. Resource Manag./ Consultant

Vanessa Richardson

minute taker

ITEM 1. WELCOME BY THE CHAIR & APOLOGIES

The chairperson welcomed the committee members and others attending this CICCC meeting- Robyn Betts, Geoff Millard, Alex Mikov, Peter Whelan and Colleen Hartland.

Apologies were received from Gordon Harrison, Margaret Donnan and Bill Horrocks.

ITEM 2. CONFIRMATION OF THE DRAFT AGENDA

The draft agenda was adopted.

ITEM 3. REPORT BY ROBYN BETTS (OFFICE OF THE EMERGENCY SERVICES COMMISSIONER) ON THE JOINT EMERGENCY COMMUNICATION PILOT STUDY.

See Attachment 1

Robyn said her main role is to consult with those requiring the community-based emergency alert and information system in the Footscray and Yarraville industrial sites area. The required system must alert and inform the community involved.

Robyn says she has just looked at the Ferny Creek example that is quite specific to the needs of that community and is not wide ranging in effect.

The system required in the Footscray and Yarraville industrial sites areas will be based on the results of an integrated systems approach. The following components will be designed to work together to meet the community’s needs-

• emergency services responses

• community education

• community information

• communication systems

The complementary plan will involve

• local government (mainly Maribyrnong and Melbourne City Councils)

• industry

• other groups

It will involve consulting with interested parties in the Coode Island area that include

• newly arrived young families

• long established residents

• non-English speaking groups

• industry

• business community

The consultation period will be November 2001 to February 2002. A Steering Committee of interested groups is being set up now and an e-mailed broadsheet is being developed for ongoing information dissemination to those who are interested.

Presently there are formal and informal communication systems in operation in the area. There are no state regulations or procedures in place to deal with these sorts of emergency operations when required. The system will be self-sustaining in the long term and will be trialed before being finally adopted.

Robyn said that the main players have been identified and that she has read the CICCC minuted notes regarding discussions this committee has had about this issue.

George said he had concerns that the program seemed to be unnecessarily ‘going back to square one’ when Terminals have already actioned some procedures like the local radio station emergency message delivery. He said that industry would most likely need to be made to comply with a regulation as there was not a lot of cooperation at a voluntary level with all the industry involved.

In answer Robyn said it was her role to check that the practical work already carried out by Terminals actually suited all residents in the area. For instance Robyn wondered if the system would suit the hearing impaired and those people who don’t use radios, etc. It is her role to make sure there is a system in place that suits the diverse needs of the community. This can only be done by consulting thoroughly with a diverse group as mentioned previously. She said that she hopes to be able to support the system that has been instigated by Terminals when the consultation is finished. This and other systems already operating in the community need to be assessed to determine their ongoing suitability and to make recommendations that they be further strengthened if that is what is needed.

Colleen suggested that Robyn contact the Maribyrnong Council’s CAPS Coordinator who runs a program for people in the community who suffer from dementia.

Robyn explained that an alarm sounding on its own, without the provision of back up information, is of little use. She will be asking the community to make suggestions about what and how information should be best made available.

The questionnaire to be used for the consultation is almost completed. Members of the community including members of HazMAG, the Migrant Resource Centre, Local Government, etc) have provided input into the development of the questions. The final copy of the questionnaire and the results of the consultation will be fed back to the CICCC. Some results are expected by February/March 2002

Peter asked why she had not consulted the CICCC on the development of the questionnaire? Robyn said she had not formally asked committees to comment, rather she had made contact with some individual members of committees.

Peter said that that being the case, given the long-term interest – not to mention expertise – in Coode Island issues of members of the CICCC he though it was an omission that no individual members if the CICCC were given the opportunity to comment.

Faye asked how problems associated with different radio frequency banding could be overcome in the future? She also said that standardisation is required so that emergency service providers should be able to communicate by radio directly with one another.

Robyn said that while she couldn’t comment on that issue specifically she said that systems always need to be updated and reviewed and that these sorts of programs can help to ensure this happens.

Robyn said that the CICCC is on the mailing list for on going information about the consultation process. She said she is happy to take any individual queries that CICCC members may have.

ITEM 4. BRIEF REPORT FROM AGENCIES AND TERMINALS ON KEY ISSUES

See Attachment 2

Jarrod said that WorkCover was still oversighting the Terminals Safety Case (focus on Corio).

There has been a change of personnel in the Authority. Matthew Wylie has left WorkCover, John McKurdie was appointed Director and then stepped down. Greg Harvey has since been appointed Director of the Safety Case Assessment Program. Marg Donnan is now manager of Operations. Jarrod said his new role is that of Case Manager with Bronwyn Brookman-Smith as the secondary contact person.

Ian Thomas said he was upset that Matthew had left the Authority because he was a first class, capable and experienced chemical risk engineer. He said there is now only one other person with Matthew’s capability (namely Geoff Cook) in that section. In other words ‘the Authority had lost half of its expertise,’ he said.

Faye suggested that the CICCC ask Matthew to continue assisting the HSE sub committee in the development of the Risk Matrix.

ACTION. Robin to write on behalf of the CICCC to express appreciation of Matthew’s contribution to the Committee.

Cameron said the EPA had two key issues to report

1. Terminals Licence Amendment.

This amendment relates to the storage of Benzene. Three things are required. An immediate improvement to the VECS must be achieved. The VECS carbon beds will have to be changed every month (originally the carbon was changed every three years, and more recently this was tightened to every year). The number of tanks used for the storage of benzene will be reduced, to reduce the inventory and to reduce “breathing” vapours. Gas chromatography detectors must be installed by 1st November 2001 to measure levels of benzene discharge to the atmosphere. If the level exceeds 46g /minute Terminals must take action (such as ceasing benzene transfers). Any amounts over 51g /minute will have to be reported immediately to the EPA, with a written report to follow within 24 hours.

A proposal for a new VECS on site must be submitted by 19 November 2001. It must be ready to operate by 1 July 2002. Ground level monitoring of benzene is required.

ACTION. Cameron will send a copy of the amendment to Robin.

In answer to Peter’s question George said that Terminals will continue to store benzene until the end of 2002. He said that they changed their decision to cease storing benzene recently because Huntsman had contributed financially to enable an upgrade of the facility so that it would meet the licence requirements. The EPA had relaxed the license conditions temporally so that Terminals can comply in the interim. He said that the new VECS will process many chemicals, and would use a combustor in line with the Works Approval.

They presently store 15,000 cubic metres of benzene and that will be reduced by 6,000 cubic metres, with the largest benzene tank (of 6,000 cubic metre capacity) being taken out of service. (The new system as described in the Works Approval will achieve even better results than those set by the regulators). The MPC have given Terminals an extension of the lease on the eastern side of Mackenzie Road until July 2004. Marstel has previously announced that its target for supplying product from the BP site is by June 2003. This still leaves an apparent gap of 6 months in the ability to store benzene at Coode.

Allen said that Terminal’s directors decided to stop handling benzene when they could not comply with the EPA licence conditions. It was a compliance problem. They are pleased that these improvements will be undertaken with the assistance of Huntsman’s finances. By July 2002 benzene will be connected to the new VECS system (on the SE corner of B West) via culverts under the road. Methyl acrylate will not be stored at Terminals until then new VECS is operating.

Peter said he wondered what future option the government would choose for preferred storage facility companies on Coode Island? Peter considered that future options could include:

· Both Terminals and Marstel operating at Coode Island

· Just Marstel operating;

· Just Terminals operating;

· Neither operating.

Ian said he was concerned that the EPA was sending 5 of their staff members to Marstel CCC meetings and only one member to the CICCC meetings.

Cameron said that a team has been assembled to work on the new Marstel proposal and a similar-sized team had worked on the Terminal’s Works Approval when it was being developed.

2. Further to the direction on community monitoring handed down by the magistrate in June 2001.

See Attachment 3

Samples will be collected from the four sites as shown on the map. Six samples of various chemical levels in the air will be taken at head height. They will be measured over a 24-hour period and show the air quality of that site for the whole day. The report will be completed by 31 December 2001.

Ian suggested that there should be a sampling site on the south side of Coode Island too.

Cameron said that the prevailing wind direction in springtime is north/south. The magistrate in the Orders had designated the positions, and they were chosen as the best sites given the prevailing low velocity wind conditions and the availability of suitable sites to secure the instruments.

Faye pointed out that there is no monitoring equipment on the east side of the Terminals site.

Cameron said that the OPSIS is situated north and runs in an east/west line.

Ian suggested that Marstel might fund a monitoring site on the east side. He said that the sub-committee had suggested 3 different sites to those chosen by the EPA.

Ian said that Michael Isaachsen and Joan Thomas were members of the Marstel CCC.

Michael said that at the last meeting the consultant had worked through the Marstel Draft Works Approval document.

Ian said that given Marstel’s proximity on Coode Island, the CICCC needs to know what is proposed in their Works Approval.

Faye suggested that it could become a waste of time for CICCC members to be scanning such material. She suggested that maybe one or two people do this task rather than tying up numbers of committee members unnecessarily.

In answer to Robin’s question, Cameron said that Marstel have not yet submitted their draft Works Approval and have been advised to consult well to avoid any objections in the future.

ACTION. Robin will contact Tim Gunning and ask them to make available to the CICCC the Works Approval notes they provided to their own Consultative Committee at its last meeting.

Trevor said Terminals are seeking approval from the MF & ESB for the proposed changes to their 2000 Licence changes. Trevor said he attended an emergency communications working group meeting. He also recently met with Marstel’s fire safety consultant.

ITEM 5. CONFIRMATION OF THE MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING 13 SEPTEMBER 2001

The minutes were accepted with the following changes:

At the end of Item 3, add “Ian Thomas, as a Hobsons Bay Resident and former Councillor, expressed special appreciation of Eddie’s attendance and presentation.”

At the top of page 4, (Item 5), add “Ian Thomas commented that, given that Terminals’ circumstances had changed, EPA should approach the Court to seek removal of the Court Order.”

At the end of Item 7, add “Ian Thomas commented that, were he Terminals, he would consider developing both PO and benzene on the B West and C west sites.”

ITEM 6. ACTION ITEMS FROM THE PREVIOUS MEETING

6.1 Follow up action on the Newsletter (Deborah)

deferred to next meeting

6.2 Possible public forum

deferred to next meeting

6.3 Review of sitting fees

deferred to next meeting

ITEM 7. GROUNDWATER AND SITE SOIL SURVEY (EPA AND TERMINALS)

See Attachment 4 overhead presentation notes.

Alex said that Environment Resource Management (he is State Manager for Site Remediation) are remediating the Coode Island BP site for Terminals P/L.