ERAR6001
10 units
6000 level
Course handbook
Description
There are 160,000 potentially contaminated sites in Australia and an estimated 5 million globally. There is a need to manage these sites to protect human health and the environment and to enable economic development. Guidelines such as the National Environmental Protection Measure for the Assessment of Site Contamination (NEPM-ASC) 1999 in Australia and the Model Procedures for the Management of Land Contamination 2004 in the UK aim to establish a consistent approach to the assessment of site contamination to ensure the protection of human health and the environment and ensure contaminated land is made suitable for current or future land use. Students in this course will use processes and principles from NEPM-ASC and international guidelines to conduct contaminated site assessment. The fundamentals of selecting appropriate remediation strategies for management of contaminated sites will be explored. Teaching will be supported by practical application of site assessment methodologies to case studies.
Availability
Not currently offered.
This Course was last offered in Semester 1 - 2020.
Learning outcomes
On successful completion of the course students will be able to:
1. Apply the methodologies and protocols in the NEPM guidance to contaminated site assessment.
2. Conduct a desktop investigation, critically evaluate the status of a potentially contaminated site, and identify any data gaps that justify a further assessment.
3. Identify and utilise guidance values for contaminants of concern in site assessment.
4. Develop conceptual site models for contaminated sites using information obtained during preliminary and detailed assessments.
5. Produce a detailed site investigation plan including appropriate sampling methods, data quality objectives (DQO) and quality assurance (QA) and quality control (QC) procedures.
6. Apply screening level (Human Health and Ecological) Risk Assessments to contaminated sites.
7. Identify and appraise remediation options for a given contamination problem.
8. Produce contaminated site assessments reports for the various investigation stages, including essential elements.
Content
- International perspective on contaminated site assessment frameworks
- Introduction to NEPM-ASC and the regulatory environment for contaminated sites
- The staged site investigation process: Preliminary and Detailed Site Investigations
- Conducting desktop searches and establishing site history
- Developing conceptual site models (CSM)
- The application of regulatory investigation and screening levels
- How to design a site sampling plan and Quality Assurance / Quality control procedures
- Overview of onsite Investigation techniques
- Introduction to Site specific Risk Assessment within the NEPM-ASC Framework
- Introduction to Ecological Risk Assessment within the NEPM-ASC Framework
- Producing contaminated site assessment reports
- Developing a Remediation Action Plan
Assumed knowledge
Fundamental knowledge of chemistry and biology
Assessment items
Case Study / Problem Based Learning: Case study report
Report: Site Assessment Report
Tutorial / Laboratory Exercises: Tutorial Report
Course outline
Course outline not yet available.
The University of Newcastle acknowledges the traditional custodians of the lands within our footprint areas: Awabakal, Darkinjung, Biripai, Worimi, Wonnarua, and Eora Nations. We also pay respect to the wisdom of our Elders past and present.