ACLCA NSW is very pleased to kick off our 2023 monthly technical seminar series with 2 presentations on Wednesday 29th March.

As with all of our technical seminars this is being run as an in-person event and also an online webinar via MS Teams.

Presentations:

'Inside, Outside and Underwater - Innovative Sampling Tools to Access a Remote Pipeline' - Scott Robinson, GHD.

Innovative sampling, including the use of a bespoke underwater drone, was required to assess impacts both inside and outside of a redundant cooling water outlet pipeline that was over 1 km long and 1.8 m in diameter. During two large storm events, petroleum hydrocarbon impacted surface water was released down the redundant pipeline which has a 550 m terrestrial section and then approximately another 500 m marine section out into the bay from the beach.  The terrestrial section was cleaned using vacuum trucks and divers, but impacts remained in the inaccessible marine section. This talk discusses the work required to achieve the following objectives: 1) assessing the lateral and vertical extent of light non aqueous phase liquid (LNAPL) and dissolved phase concentrations within the marine section of the pipe, 2) assessing the external impacts to both marine water and sediment surrounding the pipeline, 3) determination if natural attenuation was occurring, and 4) developing risk based strategies for the permanent decommissioning of the pipeline with petroleum hydrocarbon impacts inside.

Scott Robinson is an Environmental Technical Director with a Bachelor’s degree in Geology and a Master’s in Environmental Science. He started out as a researcher and teacher but switched to contaminated lands consulting 26 years ago, with the last 17 years in Australia.  He has extensive experience with sites impacted by petroleum hydrocarbons and landfill waste. His focus is on risk-based closure of impacted sites through the development of robust conceptual site models and proactive regulator engagement. Scott has presented at international conferences and local industry events to promote technical innovation and risk-based solutions including EcoForum, CleanUp, ACLCA, ALGA, and a CRC CARE seminar. 

'Using Historical Aerial Photos to Understand Your Site' - Sarah Eccleshall, GHD.

All contaminated sites have a story. Have you ever found yourself playing detective, wondering why the fill in your boreholes in a small area of a site is different to elsewhere, what is the cause of that mystery odour, why might this soil be blue? So you dig through the historical records only to find there’s no indication that anything has happened there at all? In this presentation Sara will talk about the importance of using historical aerial photographs as part of your site history, and give some examples of some of the mysteries that can be solved with a little bit of detective work.

Dr Sarah Eccleshall has been a member of the contamination and environmental management team at GHD in Sydney since 2018 and is currently a senior environmental scientist based in Wollongong. Graduating with a BSc(hons) in Earth Sciences from University of Wales, Aberystwyth she then went on to pursue a MSc in Quaternary Geology at Stockholm University focusing on sediment deposition as a chronometer for fluctuations in glacial extent in Arctic Norway. Sarah then completed a PhD in fluvial sedimentology and geomorphology at Wollongong University, establishing the timing of climatic changes using fluvial sediment records as an indicator of hydrological variability in arid Australia. In her time at GHD, Sarah has worked on assessments at a variety of sites across NSW and has most extensively been involved in leading numerous contamination assessments, and remediation-validation works for the Port Kembla Gas Terminal Project. Sarah has worked on a number of projects with extensive and complex site histories, and never turns down a chance to get involved with her first love – sediments.

Time:

5.30pm for drinks and nibbles, presentations begin at 6.00pm.

Venue:

GHD - Level 15, 133 Castlereagh Street, Sydney.

GHD contact - Daniela Balbachevsky - 0426-965472

Webinar link

This will be emailed to members on ACLCA NSW email distribution list prior to the event.

BOOKINGS and CANCELLATION POLICY.

Please note that you can book to attend either the in-person event or the online webinar.

Please provide full details for all attendees.

Please note that although our seminars are free to attend, catering is organised according to our registration numbers so we request members keep this in mind and give 3 days notice if they can no longer attend, however, we appreciate that this isn't always possible.