EPA's Role in Environmental Protection

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The Environment Protection Authority Victoria (EPA) is the state agency primarily responsible for air quality monitoring, regulating, and reporting on the state's air quality, including activities related to the BRG. The EPA is supported by a range of legislation, including the Environment Protection Act 2017 (the Act) and various state e

The Environment Protection Authority Victoria (EPA) is the state agency primarily responsible for air quality monitoring, regulating, and reporting on the state's air quality, including activities related to the BRG. The EPA is supported by a range of legislation, including the Environment Protection Act 2017 (the Act) and various state environment protection policies that align with national standards, requirements, and guidelines on ambient air quality. The EPA’s Better Environment Plan (BEP) initiative is designed to facilitate voluntary agreements between the EPA and industry participants. By participating in a BEP, companies have the opportunity to trial innovative solutions to environmental challenges and exceed their environmental obligations. BEPs encourage a fresh perspective on tackling environmental issues, promoting collaboration among participants and interested parties to find solutions to complex problems. Over the past three years, BRG participants have partnered with the EPA to develop Victoria’s first BEP focused on dust mitigation activities at the Brooklyn site. The key human health and environmental objective of the BEP is to investigate collaborative and innovative actions among BEP participants aimed at mitigating emissions of particulate matter (PM) to air from the Brooklyn site. Through the BEP, individual companies within the BRG have committed to several new group collective actions that align with the BEP’s key objective and enhance outcomes for all stakeholders. This complements the current initiatives implemented by BRG members to reduce dust and minimize risks to the community. The objectives and actions outlined in the BEP were developed with reference to the Victorian Government’s Clean Air For All Victorians Strategy (2022) and the recommendations from the Inner West Air Quality Community Reference report, Group Air Pollution in Melbourne’s Inner West: taking direct action to reduce our community’s exposure (2020).

Maintaining clean air is crucial for the health and wellbeing of individuals, and it is a significant concern for communities. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has provided compelling evidence that highlights the strong correlation between poor air quality and negative health impacts. The air on Earth primarily consists of nitrogen, ox

Maintaining clean air is crucial for the health and wellbeing of individuals, and it is a significant concern for communities. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has provided compelling evidence that highlights the strong correlation between poor air quality and negative health impacts. The air on Earth primarily consists of nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, water vapour, and various inert gases. However, pollutants from both human activities and natural processes, such as ozone and particulate matter, can contaminate the air, adversely affecting both human health and the environment. To address these challenges, initiatives like the Better Environment Plan and air quality monitoring efforts by the Environment Protection Authority Victoria are essential for improving air quality and safeguarding public health.

Air quality in Melbourne’s industrial west has historically been a significant concern for local communities over many years. Recycling of construction and demolition (C&D) waste is conducted through mechanical crushing and sorting, which can naturally generate PM (commonly known as dust). This dust can impact air quality on site and in t

Air quality in Melbourne’s industrial west has historically been a significant concern for local communities over many years. Recycling of construction and demolition (C&D) waste is conducted through mechanical crushing and sorting, which can naturally generate PM (commonly known as dust). This dust can impact air quality on site and in the immediate vicinity, an issue that BRG members are acutely aware of regarding its potential effects on local air shed quality. An independent analysis conducted by environmental engineering firm Synergetics Pty Ltd in 2021, utilizing publicly available data from the Environment Protection Authority Victoria's air quality monitoring at the Brooklyn station, revealed that weather is one of the most significant determinants of air quality in the Brooklyn Site and surrounding areas. Hot, windy conditions pose challenges for operators attempting to mitigate onsite dust generation and offsite migration. Strong northeasterly winds increase the risk of offsite migration of Particulate Matter (PM), given the direct line between the BRG sites and the nearby residential estate. This risk escalates on hot, dry days when waste moisture levels are low, resulting in higher airborne particulate matter. The recorded air quality data shows that summer concentrations are approximately 60% higher than those in winter, underscoring the need for dust suppression strategies that consider the local airshed and climate. PM readings at the EPA Brooklyn monitoring station are influenced by various sources, including: a complex mixture of hundreds of industries and thousands of homes located within three kilometres of the monitoring station; nearby road traffic, particularly the numerous heavy vehicles on the adjacent West Gate Freeway; the Altona North landfill and integrated chemical processing businesses to the south of the monitoring station; and major infrastructure projects, especially those associated with the Westgate Tunnel Project, all of which are vital considerations under the Better Environment Plan.