Licence conditions for pollution studies and reduction program


  

Licence conditions for pollution studies and reduction programs

Summary
 
Licence number: 1100
Title: Effluent Irrigation Management Plan
Start date: 03 Dec 2019
 
Licence Condition
The licensee must action the Effluent Irrigation Management Plan (the EIMP), for all land on which the licensee proposes to use, or is currently using for effluent irrigation.
Actioning the EIMP must be consistent with the Environmental Guideline ‘Use of Effluent by Irrigation DEC 2004’, (“the Effluent Guidelines”). In accordance with the prepared EIMP, the licensee must: a) Collect relevant local environmental data to inform site management and modelling inputs; b) Target nutrient loads in soils by removing cropped plants offsite to remove the nutrient in the plant biomass; and c) Monitor water transfers, pond water levels, overflows and irrigation schedules to inform future water balance assessments and to prevent excessive overflow or over irrigation.
By 30 June 2024, the Effluent Irrigation Management Plan (EIMP) as required under conditions U1.1 to U1.5 must be updated to: a) address the issues outlined by the EPA in the letter dated 10 March 2023 (reference DOC22/876949-15). b) include updated local environmental data collected as required under conditions M2.2, M4.1 and M7.1 of this licence; c) present updated site water and nutrient balances, as supported by the new environmental data and using appropriate modelling inputs. Modelling must demonstrate a 1 in 10 year on average overflow frequency and the adequateness of available land area; d) assess the effectiveness of the implemented EIMP against relevant environmental guidelines in achieving sustainable effluent irrigation use at the premises. If this assessment shows that effluent irrigation is not sustainable at the premises under the current EIMP, the EIMP must be updated to include a mitigation plan to adjust the site water and nutrient management systems to achieve the sustainable effluent irrigation use at the premise; and e) Update the EIMP into an action-based plan that removes current environmental assessment elements and includes standard operating procedures and action-based triggers for sustainable effluent irrigation management. The updated EIMP must be submitted in writing for review and comment to the EPA by email at info@epa.nsw.gov.au. The updated EIMP must be addressed to the following: Director Regulatory Operations Metro Locked Bag 5022 Parramatta NSW 2124 info@epa.nsw.gov.au
The licensee must review the EIMP within one (1) month of any of the following: a) An Annual Return; b) Any incident relating to irrigation; c) An audit report; and d) Any modifications made to operational practices at the premise that relate to irrigation. A summary of any EIMP review must be submitted to the EPA within three (3) months of the completed review for comment. The EIMP must be updated to include any recommended measures identified during these reviews. 
The licensee must update the EIMP within one (1) month of any changes to the ownership of land that is irrigated upon or that is included within the EIMP. Updates to the EIMP must be submitted to the EPA for comment and must include: a) The terms of any agreement entered into by the buyer and licensee that relate to changes to the ownership of land currently owned by the licensee; b) The terms of any agreement entered into by the buyer and licensee that relate to changes to current irrigation processes implemented by the licensee; and c) Proposed changes to effluent management and mitigation processes that will occur due to the sale of the land
Any revisions or updates made to the EIMP must be assessed against relevant environmental guidelines and legislation, with specific consideration to the Environmental Guideline ‘Use of Effluent by Irrigation DEC 2004’, (“the Effluent Guidelines”). Any revisions or updates proposed to the EIMP must be submitted in writing to the EPA for review and comment by email to info@epa.nsw.gov.au and addressed to the following: Director Regulatory Operations Metro Locked Bag 5022 Parramatta NSW 2124 info@epa.nsw.gov.au