What
is Contamination?
Contamination is defined
as ‘the condition of land or water where any chemical substance
or waste has been added at above background level and represents,
or potentially represents, an adverse health or environmental
impact’ (National Environment Protection Measure (NEPM),
1999).
Contamination can be
found in soil, river or
ocean sediments, surface
water and groundwater.
Gaseous compounds can also contaminate the atmosphere.
Contamination can have
serious harmful effects on people and the environment. Contamination
can affect all organisms from microorganisms in the soil and water
through to livestock and people.
Contamination can harm
people when absorbed, swallowed or inhaled. Most commonly the
effects are skin irritations and inflammation. More serious effects
include cancer and tumors, heart disease, physical deformities
and mental defects.
Contamination can harm
the environment by degrading soil, water and air quality. In this
regard contamination can affect the way the community carries
out its daily business. For example, contamination of water supplies
can prevent water from being used. In other cases contamination
can result in odours making recreational areas unusable, or can
even impact on the way a place looks, degrading the overall aesthetic
values of the area.
Defence
Policy
To ensure the most effective
and efficient management of land contamination on Defence sites
(including the prevention of contamination, the management of
current contamination and site remediation) Defence has developed
a Contaminated Land Management Strategy outlining Defence’s
objectives and responsibilities for the management of contamination
within its estate.
The Defence Contamination
Management Manual (DCMM) represents the translation of objectives
outlined in the Strategy document into on-ground management approaches.
The DCMM is designed for use by Defence land and personnel with
Defence property management responsibilities, and provides a comprehensive
and practical guide on current best practice, guidelines and protocols
for contaminated site assessment and management.
The application of the
DCMS and the DCMM are designed to be fully integrated with the
Contaminated Sites Register (CSR), which forms part of the Defence
Estate Management System (DEMS) and the environmental reporting
processes being implemented across the Defence Estate.
In managing its contaminated
sites, Defence is guided principally by the Environment Protection
and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, the Environment Protection
and Heritage Council and the National Environment Protection (Assessment
of Site Contamination) Measure 1999. Moreover, Defence undertakes
to work closely with State and Territory agencies to ensure that
the spirit and intent of relevant contamination prevention and
management legislation are implemented and achieved.
The Directorate
of Environmental Impact Management (DEIM) is responsible for
the development of contamination management policy for the Portfolio,
together with the delivery of the Nation Program for managing
contamination risks. The Senior Environmental Advisers and Regional
Environmental Officers support this role in the regions.
