TGCCC Adopted Minutes 30 March 2009

Terminals TGCCC

(Terminals Geelong Community Consultative Committee)

Adopted Minutes of the Meeting

Held in the Meeting Room, Corio Library, Norlane

Monday 30 March, 2009

Present:
Robin Saunders Chair
Judy Foster Minute Taker

Community Representative	Ralph Taylor Bill Aitken Greg Postuma Jon Apted Pam Edwards Peter Linaker Catherine Jones
Terminals Pty Ltd	George Horman Gary O'Sullivan Geoff Millard
City of Greater Geelong	Lyndon Ray
EPA	Gavan Mathiewson Quentin Cooke
CFA	BobSmith Mark Collins (substitute for Ian Beswicke)
Office of the Emergency Services Commissioner	Kerry Hogan

Apologies:

Carlo Fasolino, Franceska Dezelak, John Wilson, Suz Kelly-Turner, Sue McLean, Ian Beswicke

ITEM 1	Welcome by Chair
Robin	Welcomed everyone, noting with pleasure the attendance of Gavan Mathiewson, Manager EPA Geelong, Mark Collins representing Ian Beswicke, our new Minute Taker Judy Foster and Kerry Hogan of the OESC..
ITEM 2	Apologies, confirmation of Draft Agenda
	Apologies were as listed above.
Robin	Asked for confirmation of the Draft Agenda, with the further change of asking Gavin to make a short presentation as an early item, which was agreed.
ITEM 3	Confirmation on the Draft Minutes of the meeting 2nd February 2009. Adopted as a true record of the meeting without changes.
ITEM 3A	Report by Gavan Mathiewson
	Gavan advised that he had been the Manager in Geelong since January 2007. EPA was restructured in 2008, with specialist work now done largely in Melbourne. The Geelong office will continue with community engagement, pollution response, minor statutory matters, sustainability (helping businesses find solutions), some enforcement and environmental performance. The Geelong Office will drive issues in an area from Werribee to the South Australian border. EP lost a few staff in the last 12 months. They will be replaced with Client Relationship Managers, two of whom will be based in Geelong. This will benefit companies by having a dedicated person to understand their complex issues. The new appointees have a variety of backgrounds, not just technical.
ACTION	Gavan to advise TGCCC when the Terminals Client Relationship Manager is appointed.
Catherine	The new EPA officer may not be on top of technical issues. We only need a Technical person at TGCCC, and Catherine expressed disappointment at the advice given .
	There was some general discussion about the way EPA would appoint Client Relationship Managers to the different companies, and to different sites of the same company. The issue of commercial confidentiality was one EPA has strict codes of conduct on, and the assignment of Client Relationship Managers may need to work around any sensitivities.
Item 4	The Emergency communication needs of the community
Robin	Robin explained the genesis of the attendance of Kerry Hogan, and asked each community representative to outline their view of community needs before, during and after an emergency.
Greg	Mobile phone text messages were received by a lot of people during the bushfire emergency, though I don't have a mobile phone. It seems the Emergency Service Minister wanted texting; I'd like to know who decided to use it, how did it happen, and how did it go.
Catherine	We had an emergency at Drysdale, with many different noises, and no one knew what the noises were. Drysdale would like a bell to be rung in an emergency. Radio 774 is OK but I don't get local radio reception in Drysdale. The community needs a place to go in an emergency. It is frightening to be by yourself if a fire or other emergency occurs.
Jon	There needs to be a level of trust between Geelong Grammar staff and students and parents, trust that is built up. The last thing we want is a lot of parents ringing up before we hear anything. We also need a good debriefing after an incident. We need good information about what to do in an emergency eg. for a toxic leak, shut doors and stay inside.
Peter	Emergency communications information is needed for the community. However the message needs to be carefully considered so as not to make more confusion. If a 7 storey building was on fire, care would need to be taken not to panic the occupiers.
Pam	It depends where you live. I live at Port Arlington Peninsula and residents there are concerned about anything that happens on the Peninsular. How do we get out if local roads are blocked? Our local group doesn't have a fire plan, and after February 7th this is a priority. There are a lot of people in the area over 70, who have problems with mobility and breathing.
Ralph	I'm still very interested in the telephone link-up system-it seems the best communication method available. I have doubts about its financial viability, but would like to know the costs involved.
	Robin then invited other members of the Committee to coment.
Mark	With respect to sirens, bells etc., the system needs to alert the community to what the problem is, and where it is. We don't want people jumping out of their houses and going through a toxic cloud on the way to an assembly area.
George	Taking it back to what has been discussed I Melbourne, we need emergency notification to people under threat at an appropriate time. The SMS that came out was cute, but was not particularly useful to target particular communities under threat. We need a greater level of sophistication.
Robin	One aspect that the Melbourne community has raised is the communication at the early stage of an emergency, when the full extent of the emergency is not yet known.
George	I don't agree with what Robin said; Emergency Services need to give out the message.
Mark	The Senior Sergeant of Police issues any communication to residents.
Peter	We must not provoke people into jamming the normal communication channels.
Pam	People should be able to ring a phone number to find out specific information. We don't have police stationed at Port Arlington.
Kerry	The text message sent out was an early warning, not an emergency communication. In an emergency, the message can placate or inflame. If it inflames people, the communication links will be overwhelmed. Oft times, people will also experience power failure.
ITEM 9 Robin	Sought the Committee's response to his request that the next meeting be moved to 18 May. This was agreed.
ACTION	Kerry to advise Robin whether she would return to tell the Committee about the Emergency Communication response to the bush fires and the learning from that experience on 18 May or on the following meeting (6 July 2009).
ITEM 5	EIP 2009-2011.
George	The new EIP has been previously tabled and discussed. The 'guts' of the EIP is detailed on pages 10,11 and 12. George invited community reps to 'sign off' the EIP.
Ralph	Suggested that the Committee as a whole sign off the EIP.
	There was a range of opinion about the proposal, with some community members in favour and others against.
Catherine	Wondered if enough was being done about contaminated groundwater.
	Discussion ensued, and the previous report by EPA was recalled, which pointed to the very slow movement of contaminated groundwater from the direction of Shell, and the reducing levels of the contaminants.
Robin	Suggested that the EIP be circulated for signing by those members of the community who wish to.
Bill	Advised that some members represented community groups, and would have to go back to the groups before making a decision.
	It was agreed that the EIP would also be available at the next meeting to give an opportunity for other community members to sign it.
Peter	Raised concern about the possibility of the EIP being signed off, and then changes or updates being made without reference to the committee.
Geoff	Advised that the EIP would not be changed once it was signed off.
	The EIP was circulated for signing.
ITEM 6	Business Arising from Minutes
Action Item 31/5	Advise date on which Port Plan Planning Scheme Amendment will go on exhibition.
	Lyndon advised that the CoGG Officer handling the matter was Tim Hellsten, and suggested Robin contact him directly.
Action Item  36/2	Terminals to update Emergency Plan in line with agreed recommendations, for presentation at May 2009 meeting - await May meeting
Action Item 36/3	On EPA approval of the 30A application re the butadiene isotainer, Terminals to advise the committee. - nothing further to report.
Action Item 37/3	In relation to the bitumen leak, Terminals has resolved to investigate moving the isolation valve closer to the fill arm. The Committee requested that Terminals advise it of the results of that investigation.
Gary	The isolation valve will be moved closer when the opportunity presents during a plant shut down. Item closed
Action Item 37/4	In relation to the Methyl Ethyl Ketone overfill, Terminals has resolved to carry out random tests of scully probes, and continue to monitoring of the loading system for signs of failure. The Committee requested that Terminals advise it of the results of that investigation.
George	There has been a large investigation, and we have had a good look at the loading system. I think the problem lies in how quickly the system shuts down. The tanks are supposed to have a 5% vapour space, and the Scully probe extending into this space from the roof should shut down the filling when the liquid gets to this point. But the response is too slow. We are surveying how far the probes hang down in the trucks, to see if we can stop the overflows. We'll also put a liquid sensor in the vapour return line, to shut down the loading if the Scully probe is too slow. Brookes meters don't tell the system to shut down if they fail, whereas other meters are fail safe. We will spend about $80,000 fitting the liquid sensors. Item closed.
Action Item 37/6	Lyndon will advise the Chair of Councillors now representing wards including and close to the Terminals facility, and the Councillor who has the Environment portfolio, to enable the Chair to invite them to TGCCC meetings.
Robin	Lyndon provided advice that Councillor Kylie Fisher is the new Corio Ward Councillor, and has the Community Development portfolio. Robin advised that he has sent Kylie an invitation to attend a meeting of the TGCCC. Item closed
ITEM 7	Reports
	EPA Quentin Cooke
	Quentin added to the remarks of Gavan concerning the EPA restructure, by advising that he was in the Statutory Facilitation Unit, a specialist team. He is currently assessing an application by Terminals for an accredited licence for the Corio facility, which is being progressed actively. Terminals has had an accredited licence at Coode Island for about five years. An accredited licence is less prescriptive than a normal licence, and rests on four cornerstones: the existence of an EIP (preferably community based); an audit program involving an Environmental Auditor appointed under the EPA Act; an independently certified Environmental Management System (EMS); demonstrated improved environmental performance (normally impossible if the facility has a bad track record, including enforcement actions). Benefits include less stringent requirements for Works Approvals, for non-significant items. At Coode Island, if George wants to add another couple of tanks, after discussion with the CICCC, he will advise EPA that he believes it constitutes a non-significant item.
George	We've found it more rigorous, particularly the independent auditing (as EPA tends to be understaffed, and the annual EPA inspection may not always be done). It makes for a better outcome for all. It's not cheap, but it certainly creat4es another discipline.
Geoff	The independent auditor can spend up to three days at the facility. The thrust of the accredited licence is continuous improvement.
Peter	I had the impression that the accredited licence involved the community? Does EPA require consultation with the community?
Quentin	Some facilities don't have a community who are interested. (Note reference to two places where community is involved in the text above-the first cornerstone, and the example of the procedure for two new tanks to avoid a formal Works Approval)
Bill	Does an accredited licence apply just to the one site? Yes.
	There ensued a discussion of a site at Heales Road, which is not a Terminals site.
George	George stated Terminals commitment to TGCCC, and his appreciation of what people put into meetings for Terminals, the value of that input for TGCCC and for the community.
Ralph	Does an accredited licence supersede the existing licence, and if so what happens to those parts that are lost?
Quentin	It hasn't been developed yet, but is similar to the one at Coode Island. The table of chemicals, emissions will be very similar to the existing licence. (Note by Chair: the Terminals Pty Ltd Coode Island Accredited Licence may be found at the CICCC web site -www.ciccc.org-navigate to Reports, and scroll down to "Terminals Licence and most recent amendment", click on the Amendment October 2007. The Amendment comprises a complete accredited licence, and as I understand the situation, specific items required under previous licences are included in the EIP.)
Ralph	Will TGCCC be able to examine the accredited licence before it is finalised?
ACTION	Quentin to bring the draft accredited licence to the TCCC for comment before it is finalised.
	MFB Mark Collins
	Nothing except for the various call outs to the site that will be discussed under the Terminals Operations Report.
	CoGG Lyndon Ray
	Advised that the CEO (Kay Rundle) had resigned and would become the CEO at the City of Port Phillip.
	Terminals Gary O'Sullivan
	Gary confined his report to the Incident and Non Conformance page. The first item was "While commissioning new wharf crane parking hook on crane was damaged." Gary explained that that the ram did not have a fail safe stop.
	The second item was "Dry break coupling started leaking when disconnected from truck." This was a severity 2 incident, and involved loading butadiene to a truck. The resultant spill required triggering the deluge system, and the donning of Breathing Apparatus by operators. It involved some 5 to 10 kg of butadiene and caused levels of butadiene of 140 ppm for 20 minutes some 30 metres from the truck. The cause was the failure of an O ring, which broke and then jammed the valve open. Exhaustive inquireies have failed to show any reason for the failure, which may be the result of an incompatibility of the O ring material with an inhibitor in the product.
Catherine	Asked if the Incident report could routinely specify the date of each incident, and Robin requested later that the volume of spilled product be cited when it is known.
ACTION	Terminals to revise the Incident report to include the date of incidents and the spilt volume where it can be estimated.
Bill	Raised an issue, that some two weeks ago (possibly Saturday 14 March) that he heard a siren, and rang the Out of Hours number. Shell responded, and advised that the siren was a Terminals matter.
Greg	Stated that although he is fairly close to the complex, the only sirens he can hear are from Shell.
Gary	Noted that if there had been an emergency at Terminals sufficient to cause the siren to sound, CFA would have been automatically called out and he would have been notified within 30 minutes. Neither of these two actions in fact occurred.
ACTION	Terminals to investigate the siren on 14 March, and advice given that it was a Terminals incident.
Gary	Continued with the reporting of the remaining incidents (all Category 1). The most significant matter concerned the connecting of a road tanker unloading product to the wrong terminal tank, which could have involved an expensive error. Luckily the error was noted by another operator, and the problem was rectified before product was moved. Gary was in the vicinity when the incident occurred.
Robin	Complemented Gary (and Terminals staff generally) for reporting such incidents, even though they knew that the committee would ask some difficult questions. Ralph supported the comment, and complimented Terminals, saying that he valued Terminals frankness and openness.
Ralph	Queried the content of the monitoring program at the site, and asked EPA for an explanation of the licence controls.
Quentin	Explained that the butadiene spill was an unlicenced discharge. The licence provides for anticipated releases of product during normal operations (i.e. residual butadiene losses to the atmosphere during ship unloading). Such unlicenced discharges must be reported to EPA, and also reported in the Annual Report to EPA.
Ralph	Do Terminals know how much butadiene they have discharged year to date, compared to the licence?
ACTION	Terminals to advise how much butadiene they have discharged year to date, compared to the licence.
Jon	Does EPA consider enforcement action for this sort of spill?
Quentin	5 kilograms of butadiene is quite a bit, and if the spill was bigger, or happened more frequently, we would consider enforcement action.
Gary	Advised that the sealed kit to replace the coupling cost about $2,400 which is a substantial cost.
ITEM 8	Other Business
Peter	Requested an item be put on the agenda for next meeting, involving a short coming in the Terminals Reports on the web site.
ACTION	Robin to put item on Agenda for May meeting, "web site report shortcoming".
Meeting Closed	9:00 pm.