Kylie Coleman Team Leader Regulatory Partnerships & Approvals Environment and Natural Resource Regulation Dept of Env & Resource Management
Beneficial Use Approvals (BUAs)
An option DERM offers. This process has been created to allow industry to reuse waste that has a benefit.
The Environmental Protection (Waste Management) Policy 2000 (EPP Waste) furthers the objective by setting out a waste management hierarchy.
[ul]
Waste avoidance
waste re-use
Recycle
Other recovery
Retreat
Dispose[/ul]
What is a waste?
Waste is defined in the EP Act as:
Anything other than a resource approved for beneficial use that is:
[ul]left over or an unwanted by-product from an industrial commercial domestic or other activity
surplus
gas liquid solid[/ul]
Benefits of a beneficial use approval.
Allows lawfully converting it to a resource:
[ul]no requirement for regulated waste related approvals
reduces the amount of waste going for final disposal
can reduce the need for production of raw materials
may have a monetary value.[/ul]
BUA approval types
[ul]Specific
[ul]is an approval of a resource or sgtated type of resource of which only a sgtated person has the benefit
assessed on a case-by-case application basis[/ul]
General
[ul]is an approval for a resoruce or stated type of resource of which anyonewho has that type of resource can have the benefit
No application process
Currently general BUW for CSG produced water mill muds coal combustion products.[/ul][/ul]
Currently processing a general approval for biosolids.
Key assessment criterial
The applicant for an approval
[ul]Must own the resource or the stated type of resource or
Must have the consent of the person who owns the resource
Must have a benefit[/ul]
Information required
Details about:
[ul]its chemical compostion
its physical state
its environmentally significant characteristics
quantity
any relevant waste minimisation or waste management plan applicable to the use of the resource
any potential risks of environmental harm arising from the use of the resource and how they are to be avoided or minimised
proposed measures to ensure …
[/ul]
Examples:
Biosolids application on agricultural land
Dunder – application on agricultural land
Concrete washdown material – pH control in acidic dredge pond water
Coal seam gas produced water – irrigation on agricultural land
Fibreboard – crushed and used in road base aggregate (trial)
Ferrous sulphate – soil remediation compositing
Pre Design Conferencing
BUA guidline on the DERM website
Prelodgement meeting to discuss project before application is submitted
Contact Permit and Licence Management on 1300 130 372
Application form