Development Plan of Sewage Treatment Plant

DEVELOPMENT PLAN OF SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANT
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Introduction
Sewage treatment process involves treating and recycling wastes from the environment. Wastewater treatment processes have a lot of impacts on the environment. These effects are both positive and negative (Doughari, Dodo & Mbuh, 2007). This process however also involves disposal of liquids into rivers and other water bodies and solids being used in farms as manure. Therefore the process of sewage treatment has to be keenly monitored to prevent cases of land, water, and air pollution. To ensure complete treatment of sewage, the collection and treatment of wastewater have become subject to the state, local and federal standards and regulations. There are many rules that govern the processes that take place in the sewage treatment plants. Also, local authorities, the state, and the federal government set standards that these wastewater treatment plants have to meet. If the plants fall below the criteria, then the relevant authorities can shut down the already operational ones or stop the building of those under construction (Australian Water and Wastewater Association, 1997).
Legal Requirements for Obtaining Development Consent
Certain legal requirements Airy Fairy for the development of a sewage treatment plant in a particular area (Australian Water and Wastewater Association, 1997). The first statutory duty needed by Airy Fairy is the possession and ownership right of the land in which the wastewater treatment plant is to be constructed (“Lands Acquisition and Compensation,” 1980).

Acquiring a title deed of the property in which the development is to be carried out can do this. Another legal requirement by Airy Fairy will be a common law that allows access to water bodies and biodiversity at large (Koh, 2007). This obligation is crucial, especially when it comes to the recycling of the treated wastes. It is important because after treating waste water and confirming that it is safe, it is directed to water bodies or placed on farmlands (Doughari, Dodo & Mbuh, 2007).
Other Required State / Federal Approvals and In What Circumstances
In addition to the legal requirements, Airy Fairy will also need approvals from the federal government before the proper development of the sewage treatment plant can commence. The federal government will have to approve the land ownership and use by Airy Fairy. Dumping of waste products, whether treated or untreated, in someone else’s land, is illegal. It, therefore, means that for Airy Fairy to legally dump their treated wastes they need to own the ground onto which they do the dumping (“Environmental Planning,” 1997). Large waste treatment plants can result in mega disposals of treated waste hence the need for better waste management.
Airy Fairy will also need access the natural resources such as land and water. This access is, however, only possible after they have obtained approval by the federal government. The federal government governs the natural resources and prevents any exploitation that may lead to their distraction (“Environmental Planning,” 2000). Therefore, for Airy Fairy to be able to dump their wastes in water bodies and on land, they must have approval from the government for the operation of the treatment plant (“Environmental Planning,” 1981). The federal government, on the other hand, before issuing an approval, must confirm that the wastes disposed of these water bodies, land, and even air are not harmful to the environment and the health of human beings. Also, depending on the location of the sewage treatment plant, Airy Fairy may also need approvals from the federal and state governments in consideration to borderlines. Both the federal and state governments will have to look at the internal and international borders to ensure that the sewage treatment plant lies within the country and in the required state to avoid conflicts with other states or other nations (“Final Report,” 1991). In the event that the wastewater treatment plant will have significant impacts on the environment, Airy Fairy will need approval from the Federal Minister (“Environmental Planning,” 1981). The Federal Minister has the power to refuse to approve if the treatment plant is not in a position to live up to the required standards or follow the regulations when it starts operating.
Requirements for Environmental Assessment of the Project
The construction of a sewage treatment will majorly impact on the surrounding area to its place of installation directly and indirectly in a number of ways. It is, therefore, crucial to assess and determine the suitability of any location where a treatment plant is to be located (Godden & Peel, 2007). Some of the major assessments to check if the site is an ideal area would include first the ecology (“Environmental Regulatory Practice,” 2015). The area should consist of dry agricultural land for disposing of the treated solid wastes. Also, another assessment should be on the general hydrology of the area. There should be water bodies that will help with the general disposal of the treated liquid wastes. The cultural and heritage background of the area should also be assessed to ensure that the construction of the treatment plant would lead to interference with preserved archaeological sites (“For Your Information,” 2008). Finally, assessment is also required to ensure that the location is far enough from the nearby communities and from major highways to reduce risks of air and noise pollution. However, the treatment plants must not be so far from these communities and should have the capability of being accessed by roads.
Assessment of the Proposal
The proposed construction of the sewage treatment plant will be assessed in many ways. The first assessment will be the environmental evaluation of the environment of the proposed area of construction of the wastewater treatment plant under EPBCA (“Hillman, 2006”). An environmental assessment is completed by the proponent and forwarded to the Minister for consideration. The minister after review of the proposal can refuse or grant approval to the proposal. The assessment usually involves taking into account the environmental impact statement (EIS) produced by the proponent (“Protecting Classified,” 2004).
The proposals are also assessed for duplication. This assessment involves bilateral evaluation, which has the objective of ensuring that the processes of assessments are not duplicated. Duplications are usually common in situations where the proposed developments need evaluation and approval from both the State and Federal governments. Currently, the environmental assessment powers belong to the Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) for special projects and thus RMS access its own impacts. These projects include activities that are small scale (Johnson Property Group Limited, 2014).
Conditions to Be Met In Operating the Facility after Granting of Consent
There are some conditions that Airy Fairy must meet should they be approved to construct and operate the sewage treatment plant. The first condition to be met when operating the plant is carrying out only activities that do not cause any form of environmental harm. However, should the activity be that which causes harm to the environment, the person in charge of the company must take practical and reasonable measures to ensure minimization and if possible the elimination of the harm. The people operating the plant also have to frequently review the limits of the contaminant release from the treatment plants (“Planning and Environment Act,” 1987).
The law also requires that the activities that are conducted the environmental authority must strictly follow the design conditions such as peak design capacity. This requirement is to make sure that inflows to the plant achieve proposed peak design standard (Water Act, 1989). The law requires that should there be a breach of any condition of the environmental authority, it must be reported in a period of less than 24 hours and records must be kept. Record keeping ensures that the administrating authority knows all the instances of lack of compliance quickly. Again, there must not be any release of contaminants into the environment unless with permission from the environmental authority (“Environmental Regulatory Practice and Support,” 2015).
All relevant records and information about the sewage treatment plant must also be kept for a minimum period of five years. This information and records are, however, kept with the exception of the results from the monitoring of the environment. The results of environmental monitoring are to be kept until such a time that the environmental authority surrenders. All these information and records should be provided upon request by the administrating authority. In addition to keeping of records and information, all the important parameters in the development of the sewage treatment plant must be monitored, recorded and interpreted by appropriately qualified personnel (“Environmental Regulatory Practice and Support,” 2015).
Another condition is the “design and implementation of a receiving environment monitoring program” (West, 2004). The design and implementation are to be done by appropriate and qualified persons with the intention of monitoring the impacts of the treatment on water bodies, air shed, groundwater, land, noise sensitive places and the larger environment. The program put in place to monitor the treatment must incorporate the nature and details of the pollutants released in streams. These details should take the receiving stream into account. This improves the management of the natural resources: (“Resource Management Act,” 1991).
Also, “a laboratory that has certification from National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA)” or a certification equivalent to this must carry out the required analyses that are needed “under the environmental authority” (WIKA Australia, 2016). However, “in situ” analyses are an exception to this condition (WIKA Australia, 2016). A report of annual monitoring must also be prepared and submitted to administering authority every year. This submission also ensures that the performance of the treatment plant is summarized and that actions are taken to minimize environmental impacts as compared to the past financial year. Environmental complaints received must also be recorded. The records of these complaints must include: type of the objection, time and day when the objection was received, the investigations that were undertaken after the complaint, the plaintiff’s details, the conclusions were drawn and the actions taken (“Environmental Regulatory Practice and Support,” 2015).
Moreover, the monitoring process when needed by the directing authority has to be done in a prescribed manner and must involve investigations of complaints with purpose about the effects of the treatment plant on the surrounding. Finally, the development of the wastewater treatment plant has to conform to the written procedures to avoid unexpected risks (“Final Report,” 1991). This helps with the management of environmental risks associated with the development and “operation of the sewage treatment plant” (“Environmental Regulatory Practice and Support,” 2015).
Rights of Objectors to Challenge the Construction/Operation of the Facility
The inhabitants of an area in which the Airy Fairy sewage treatment plant is to be developed, if unsatisfied with the approval of a proposal, have a right to appeal in the court of law to object the development process (“Sydney Local Environment Plan,” 2012). The complainants, who are the applicants of the objection, must write a letter to the court of law requesting for re-review of Airy Fairy’s proposal. In their letter of appeal, they must clearly state and support their reasons for the objection. These reasons will be considered after that and reviewed by the administrating authority before refusing or re-approving Airy Fairy’s proposal. During this time when the letter of appeal is still in court and waiting for re-approval, the development project is kept on hold. There are several reasons that can lead to the objection of the development process of a sewage treatment plant. The most common ones include noise all round the clock from the actual construction of the treatment plant. Emission of high levels of unpleasant odors from the plant, flooding of the treatment plant, destruction of natural habitats or social areas, and negative impacts on the quality of life of the residents of the area are other reason that can lead to an objection (Johnson Property Group PTY Limited, 2014). A sewage treatment plant can cause major air, water, and land pollution in an area (“Protecting Classified,” 2004).
References
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“Environmental Planning and Assessment Amendment Act” [1997] EPAAA 152. New South Wales Acts As Made.
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Godden, Lee. & Peel, Jacqueline. 2007. “The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth): Dark Sides of Virture.” Melbourne Univerity Law Review 106. Retrieved from http://www.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/sinodisp/au/journals/MelbULawRw/2007/5.html?stem=0&synonyms=0&query=environmental%20assessmentHillman, R. 2006. The Future Role of State Agreements in Western Australia. Australian Resources and Energy Law Journal. Retrieved from http://www.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/sinodisp/au/journals/AURELawJl/2006/58.html?stem=0&synonyms=0&query=%20proposal%20EPBCAJohnson Property Group PTY Limited. 2014. Objection: DA 714/2014 – Development Application. Retrieved from https://www.ipart.nsw.gov.au/files/sharedassets/website/trimholdingbay/online_submission_-_individual_-_a._howard_-_28_apr_2015.pdfKoh, Kheng-Lian. 2007. Asian Environmental Protection in Natural Resources and Sustainable Development: Convergence Versus Divergence? Macquarie Journal of International and Comparative Environmental Law. Retrieved from http://www.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/sinodisp/au/journals/MqJlICEnvLaw/2007/3.html?stem=0&synonyms=0&query=asian%20environmental%20protection%20kohLands Acquisition and Compensation (1980) ALRC 14. Australian Law Reform Commissions Reports. Retrieved from http://www.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/sinodisp/au/other/lawreform/ALRC/1980/14.html?stem=0&synonyms=0&query=land%20ownershipPlanning and Environment Act [1987]. Victorian Acts Reprints.
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West, Anna. 2004. Marine Pollution from Vessel Sewage in Queensland. Australian and New Zealand Maritime Law Journal. Retrieved from http://www.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/sinodisp/au/journals/ANZMarLawJl/2004/9.html?stem=0&synonyms=0&query=sewage%20treatment%20plantWater Act [1989]. Victorian Acts Reprints,
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