Row No. Information Requirements – Specifications Additional information 1 Re-submit Works Approval application with
current approved form.
See attached.
2 Provide premises physical street address Cadda Road, Badgingarra. Approximately 7km from the Brand Highway and Cadda Road Street intersection.
3 Provide aerial photography showing:
a. Property boundary and location of proposed prescribed premises;
b. Location and layout of prescribed premises key infrastructure;
c. Exact location of emission and discharge points.
See attached map showing the property boundary and the location of the proposed prescribed premises.
The only key infrastructure at the site is the hardstand area (which will contain the storage areas for poultry litter and straw, and the compost windrows) and the evaporation pond. See these areas marked on a map below.
The only emission and discharge points are the hardstand area (feedstock storage areas and compost windrows in terms of air, dust and noise emissions) and the evaporation pond.
At the end of the compost process, the product is immediately spread on Parron Place as an organic fertiliser.
Figure 1 – location of key infrastructure at the site. Yellow is straw storage area, red is poultry litter storage area, green is compost windrows and blue is the evaporation pond.
4 Provide annual maximum production or design capacity and estimated annual throughput in tonnes per year.
The design capacity (based on infrastructure operating 24 hours a day, 7 days a week) is 480 tonnes, and the estimated maximum annual throughput per year is 2,080 tonnes.
This is based on using 50 tonnes/fortnight of spent hens, 20 tonnes/fortnight of poultry litter and 10 tonnes/fortnight of straw (totalling 80 tonnes of feedstock/fortnight).
5 Accurately list and detail:
a. All machinery, equipment and infrastructure used.
A front end loader (100 horsepower Sino) will be used to turn the compost stockpiles. This front end loader is already used on the property for everyday farm management practises. A tractor and muck spreader will be used to spread the compost product to paddocks.
There will be no additional machinery, equipment or infrastructure used.
b. Proposed hours of operation. 6am to 6pm c. Make/model, sound power level,
capacity (tonnes/hour) of machinery and all controls proposed to mitigate emissions.
During construction and then operation, traffic travelling along Cadda Road may hear an
occasional vehicular noise, but the road is very lightly used and the noise would be similar to that of a tractor or header operating in a paddock alongside a road. Given the distance to the nearest sensitive receptors and that the loader does not generate more noise than regular farm
machinery, we consider it fair and reasonable that no controls will be required to mitigate noise emissions.
6 Accurately detail:
a. Current and historic activities occurring at the premises.
The location of the proposed compost facility is a rural area that is dominated by agricultural activities, predominantly sheep grazing and cropping.
b. Proposed composting process and associated operations on the premises.
The composting process will be done in accordance with the Australian Eggs Composting By- products on Egg Farms. As soon as the spent hens arrive they are placed on 300mm of straw.
Straw is then placed on top of the hens and completely covered by at least 300mm of inert material (compost). This occurs as soon as the hens arrive. When the hens are turned after approximately 4-5 weeks, the stockpiles are again covered with inert material (compost) to a depth of 300mm. According to Composting By-products on Egg Farms, spent hens have adequate moisture to begin the composting process so water is not essential for carcass composting.
Therefore, unless deemed necessary during the compost process, water won’t be added.
c. How the process meets AS 4454-2012 and where it deviates from it.
There are different and somewhat opposing views on what it takes to successfully compost spent hens, based on the Australian Standard method and the Australian Egg method. The Australian Egg document is specific for composting spent hens and is considered the superior guide in this instance. Furthermore the composting of spent hens at this location will occur according to the details in the Australian Egg document.
The Australian Egg document ‘Composting By-products on Egg Farms’ details the following procedures for composting spent hens. This is the procedure that will be followed:
Unlike regular composting, it is advisable to leave a carcass compost pile for a minimum of 4 weeks before turning the pile to allow time for breakdown of the carcasses. After this time the pile can be turned, but it must be re-covered with at least 300mm of an inert material to ensure carcasses are not exposed on the outside of the pile. An ideal material to use for this is ‘finished’ compost that has been through the cycle once already.
To minimise pathogen levels in carcass compost, the compost should be turned three times and reach temperatures of 55C for three consecutive days after each turning.
These temperatures should be monitored, and records maintained.
7 Provide information on the inferred groundwater flow and proposed plans for monitoring groundwater quality.
The monitoring of groundwater quality was not deemed to be necessary given the extreme depth to groundwater and the protection that the controlled drainage area, the impermeable hardstand and pond liner will provide to that groundwater. Advice from a Senior Hydrologist at the Department of Primary Industries suggests that is completely reasonable to expect that 145m of semi-confining profile would attenuate any risk of contamination to the groundwater, and that groundwater monitoring at the proposed location would be uneconomical and unviable due to the extreme depth to groundwater.
As detailed in Section 10f of this document, the permeability of both the hardstand and the pond liner will be independently verified to ensure compliance with the 1x10-9 m/s standard.
The integrity of the infrastructure will be inspected quarterly and any deterioration of infrastructure will be corrected as required.
8 Detail proposed method/equipment and frequency for:
a. Monitoring evaporation pond – pH, temperature, BOD, volume of sludge and pond seepage rates.
The application did not propose monitoring of the evaporation pond for BOD, temperature and pH as there is no intended re-use of the water and the separation distance to sensitive receptors is exceptional.
The volume of sludge in the pond will be monitored at the end of summer, with the pond to be de-sludged as required.
In terms of pond seepage rates, the hardstand and pond liner will be engineered to comply with the 1x10-9 m/s standard.
b. Monitoring windrow stacks for odour emissions.
Monitoring of windrow stacks will not take place due to the exceptional separation distance to the nearest sensitive receptors.
c. Monitoring/testing moisture levels and C:N ratios within feedstocks.
The moisture level and C:N ratio of the feedstocks will be measured upon commencement of operations and those results will be used as a representative and indicative sample. It is proposed that the testing of the moisture level and C:N ratio will only be revisited should the type of feedstock change.
9 Accurately detail plans for recording types and quantities of waste accepted. Detail how feedstocks are to be stored and their storage times.
The type and quantity of wastes accepted at the property is recorded in the manager’s diary. The amount of compost that is applied to paddocks is also recorded, as well as the location of the spreading.
Hens are included in the compost process upon the point of receival, with no spent hens stored on the property. Poultry litter and straw are stored on the hardstand within the controlled drainage area.
10 Accurately detail activities to be performed during construction. Detail:
a. Expected construction times and cost breakdown of construction.
The hardstand was compacted when the gravel was removed by the Shire of Dandaragan. There will be some additional earthworks made to engineer the evaporation pond. Expected
construction time is one week, expected construction cost is $5000 for plant hire.
b. How key infrastructure will be constructed and exact material quality/type to be used.
The hardstand and pond are to be constructed from the shallow gravel over duricrust soils at the site. The Shire of Dandaragan’s work crew recently removed gravel from the site and rolled the surface to create a compacted hardstand.
c. Information to demonstrate the permeability of the hardstand.
The remaining hardstand is a flat, compacted surface that is expected to have a permeability of less than 1x10-9 m/s. The permeability of the hardstand will be verified by SGS Australia with testing completed in line with WQPN 27.
d. If bunding is proposed, and if so specify the material it is to be constructed from and detail the relevant permeability of the material.
No bunding has been proposed for this facility.
e. Clarify how the infrastructure will be designed and constructed in a manner that prevents the discharge of any leachate, process water or
contaminated water from any containment, storage or processing area.
A controlled drainage area has been designed to contain the hardstand and evaporation pond.
All feedstocks and compost stockpiles are to be located on the hardstand area, and the slope of the hardstand area is such that it drains directly to the evaporation pond. All infrastructure will be independently verified to ensure it meets the 1x10-9 m/s permeability standard. A 0.5m freeboard will be maintained on the evaporation pond.
f. How evaporation/leachate collection pond is to be constructed (lined) and what permeability this will achieve.
The evaporation pond will be lined with compacted insitu soils (shallow gravel over duricrust).
This compaction will achieve the 1x10-9 m/s permeability, which will be verified by SGS Australia.
g. Minimum freeboard of the evaporation pond and any contingencies in place for overflow and any mitigation strategies.
The pond has been designed to hold a 1 in 20 year accumulated winter rainfall. A freeboard of 0.5m will be maintained on the evaporation pond. If for some reason the freeboard is
encroached, the liquid waste will be tankered offsite by a licensed waste removalist.
11 Confirm if submission of planning approval has occurred or expected submission time.
A planning application was submitted to the Shire of Dandaragan on the 6 December 2019.
12 Accurately detail how to manage potential fires occurring onsite and how any subsequent emissions, such as air emissions and fire waste waters, will be managed.
There are fire units on the property that will be used in the case of a fire at the compost facility.
The significant distance to the nearest sensitive receptors should help to disperse air emissions from a fire. Any fire waste waters can be reused within the composting process, or alternatively applied direct to paddocks.
