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The Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for Redox involved the assessment of a chemical storage facility that could eventually store up to 21,000,000 kg of a wide range of non-dangerous and dangerous goods at a new purpose built site at Minto.
The development was of state significance and was potentially offensive and hazardous.
The environmental impact statement was prepared by ourselves with specialist input from planning consultants and a traffic engineering consultant.
The consultation process with residents, council staff, councillors, fire brigade, WorkCover and officers of the then NSW EPA were identified from day one as being of equal importance to the engineering calculations that assessed noise, air quality, stormwater and risks.
We maintain a database that enables the project to be reviewed for historical evidence of hazardous incidents - world-wide. A detailed review of incidents at warehousing facilities identified many risks that would need assessing. One critical aspect was the potential for drums of flammable liquids to BLEVE (Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapour Explosion) and become missiles escaping the warehouse and impacting on a residential area 200 m from the site.
Discussions with fire brigade officers from NSW, and those who attended a major incident at a chemical wastes site in WA, led to the trajectory of drums being possible for several hundred metres from a site. Unique solutions to reduce this risk to an acceptable level were discussed.
A Commission of Inquiry was undertaken and all parties in the development approval process were able to provide input.
The development was approved and has now been put into operation. A suite of controls and safeguards are integral to the facility.
Recent follow-up discussions with residents who initially opposed the development have indicated they are pleased the development has included extensive safeguards so they do not have to be concerned about the proximity of the site.
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