Weston Aluminium Additional Waste Streams

As i live in kurri kurri and have a family i am extreme concerned about the mishandling and storage of dangerous chemicals. Weston aluminium has had charges brought against them for misconduct upon storing chemicals which led to a catastrophic fire which closed local schools for two days and dumped toxic gas on our town. To find out they are proposing to store and process PFAS is very unnerving and quite frankly ridiculous. Please stop this company from further destroying our town and children’s well being and deny this heinous proposal.

I am writing to object to the proposal for additional waste streams at Weston Aluminium for the following reasons: ..."
Community consultation has been inadequate:

The Secretary's Environmental Assessment Requirements (SEARs) requires the EIS to address Community and Stakeholder Engagement, including the community and surrounding landowners and occupiers.
A Project Update flyer was distributed to local businesses and "community groups" in August 2022, but NOT the surrounding residences or general community.
The only "community group" consulted was Kurri Kurri Landcare - their response was a suggestion to relocate the plant to an alternate site. This did not result in any change to the proposal - just a statement that it was allowable under the EN5 Heavy Industrial zoning.
There was a small notice printed in the Public Notices of The Advertiser on November 9th 2022 for a drop-in day on 17th November, which very few people saw and hence very few attended.
Very few residents in Weston, Kurri and Surrounds received letters advising that the EIS had gone on public exhibition. Most people became aware of the proposal from comments on the Kurri Kurri Noticeboard, a community facebook group.
Kurri High P&C was not contacted, despite being downwind of the plant and 800 school students being subject to any fallout or offensive odours from the plant. None of the sporting bodies that use Birralee Park were notified.
The community engagement has been woeful for this proposal. The clock should stop until a well-advertised public community meeting is held to inform the local community what is proposed and what the risks are.
Unsuitable site for thermal waste facility
Weston Aluminium is in an increasingly unsuitable location for a growing thermal waste processing facility. The closest houses in Kurri are only 700 metres away.The surrounding area is changing from rural to residential, with expansion for nearby Loxford, Sawyers Gully and Gingers Lane. It is inappropriate to bring additional hazardous waste into an area that is becoming much more densely populated.
The massive fire in November 2021 saw a huge plume of toxic black smoke head over Kurri High School and the surrounding residential area. The high school was forced to close for 2 days and residents were sealed in their own homes with doors and windows closed. This fire clearly demonstrates that the waste facility is too close to residential areas of Kurri.
Weston Aluminium is only 100m from Swamp Creek, which runs through the proposed new residential area, Loxford Waters, into Wallis Creek and ultimately into the Hunter River. There is potential for hazardous substances to enter the creek, leech into ground water and contaminate the surrounding area, impacting on aquatic and other wildlife.
Council’s ‘Swamp/Fishery Creek Floodplain Risk Management Study and Plan’ showed water levels entering the Weston Aluminium site during the 2007 Pasher Bulka storm. Water levels have been higher since, in the April 2015 and July 2022 storms. This is no place to be storing Dangerous Goods.
Kurri Kurri Highschool is directly in line with prevailing winds for a large part of the year. This exposes a large number of students to direct contact with potentially toxic airborne particles and offensive odours which are difficult to remove from waste gases. Kurri Kurri TAFE is also in line with prevailing winds and is another large population in close proximity to this site.
Many residents in the vicinity of the high school have complained to the EPA of offensive odours suspected of coming from the Weston Aluminium site. How can we be assured that this problem will not become even worse with the treatment of new waste products, or the introduction of new treatment processes?
Residents are concerned that windborne waste has the potential to reach surrounding houses, schools and the town centre from stockpiles of waste onsite, or in the process of unloading waste from truck to warehouse.
Weston Aluminium is situated on bushfire prone land, and there is a potential for substances kept on the premises to have a negative impact on the surrounding wildlife, waterways, ecosystems, biodiversity and natural environment in the event of a bushfire.
The building proposed for new thermochemical treatment processes, the Aldex Building, actually burnt down during the fire in 2021. This would seem to be an ideal time to relocate to a more suitable site and build there.
Inadequate Management Systems in Place
Following the fire in November 2021, the EPA inspected the site and issued a Prevention Notice, which included the following observations:
Fire at the Premises

Z. On Sunday 14 November 2021, a major fire occurred at the Premises, causing extensive damage to structures, plant, equipment, and materials (the Fire).

AA. At the time of the Fire, large quantities of waste destined for disposal in the thermal waste treatment plant was stored at the Premises including, but not limited to:
(a) paints and solvents;
(b) clinical waste;
(c) pharmaceutical waste; and
(d) quarantine waste; Inspections of the Premises

AB. The EPA has inspected the Premises several times since the Fire. As a result of those inspections and investigations conducted by the EPA to date, the EPA reasonably suspects that:
(a) At the time of the Fire, a large proportion of the waste described above was stored outside buildings and was not stored within constructed bunds;
(b) At the time of the fire, large amounts of clinical and related waste was not stored in designated or clearly marked and identifiable areas at the Premises;
(c) Before and after the Fire, waste containers were not clearly marked or labelled to describe their contents;
(d) Before and after the Fire, different types of waste that should be segregated were stored together;
(e) Waste, including Clinical and related waste intended to be disposed of in the thermal waste treatment plant was odourous;
(f) Waste, including waste intended to be disposed of in the thermal waste treatment plant has not been securely or effectively contained or packaged;
(g) Before the fire, Weston Aluminium prioritised producing aluminium pucks in the reverberatory furnace over disposing of waste in the thermal waste treatment plant;
(h) Waste to be disposed of in the thermal waste treatment plant, including anatomical waste and cytotoxic waste has been stored at the Premises for several months, has accumulated and potentially degraded, increasing the risks associated with the waste;
(i) Weston Aluminium continues to prioritise producing aluminium pucks in the reverberatory furnace over disposing of waste in the thermal waste treatment plant and does not have a definite plan to remove or dispose of remaining waste that can be disposed of in the thermal waste treatment plant.
Why are we even discussing allowing this operator to expand the range of wastes that they receive? And to receive even more hazardous wastes? Clearly, they were not storing and processing the previously accepted waste streams in a timely and environmentally safe manner. How can the community possibly be confident that these significant problems have been solved and won't recur?
How can we be confident that there are sufficient policies, procedures, training and security in place to prevent a recurrence of the disastrous fire, which closed the local high school for 2 days and left residents sealed in their own homes?
Inadequate information on wastes to be treated and treatment processes
There is insufficient information on which chemicals will be in the additional waste streams, the source of the waste streams and how they will be stored and treated.
Instead, Appendix C contains a list of a vast number of chemicals, including organic chemicals - furans and dioxins, highly odorous organic chemicals, PFAS contaminated materials, putrescible and organic wastes, pesticides, organic solvents etc. Surely one consent can't be granted for all these chemicals without further information on HOW they will be safely stored and treated?
It is proposed to accept hazardous substances such as PFAS - PFAS are substances which have historically been used in firefighting and other industrial applications. Weston Aluminium has proposed to accept 100-200 tonnes of PFAS containing substances per annum for remediation. A range of animal studies conducted have linked PFAS exposure to negative health outcomes. PFAS is highly mobile and can travel far from its original source if it enters groundwater or waterways. We don't want a repeat of the Williamtown PFAS debacle in Kurri!
​​​​​​​
I request that the Department of Planning recommend refusal of the proposal.

Community consultation has been inadequate - There was a small notice printed in The Advertiser on November 9th for a drop-in day on 17th November, which very few people saw and hence very few attended. Very few residents in Weston, Kurri and Surrounds received letters advising that the EIS had gone on public exhibition (letters should have been sent to all residents in a 2326 and 2327 postcode). The only community group consulted was Kurri Kurri Landcare - Kurri Landcare's response was "relocation of plant to alternate site".

There has been a fire on the site previously (2021), and unapproved items and chemicals were found in storage by the fire brigade. How can we be confident that there are sufficient policies, procedures, training and security in place to prevent a recurrence of this disaster.

Kurri Kurri High School & Weston Public School are directly in line with prevailing winds for a large part of the year. This exposes a high number of students to direct contact with potentially toxic airborne particles and offensive odours which are difficult to remove from waste gases. Kurri Kurri TAFE is also in line with prevailing winds and is another large population in close proximity to this site.

Considering the above concerns, we need to see additional public consultation in the form of a community forum. This would need to give residents the opportunity to ask questions face-to-face with experts on the matter to help resolve questions about how these additional waste products could effect the community when disposed of. Please consider further consultation before cutting the community out of this process.

Community consultation has been inadequate - There was a small notice printed in The Advertiser on November 9th for a drop-in day on 17th November, which very few people saw and hence very few attended. Very few residents in Weston, Kurri and Surrounds received letters advising that the EIS had gone on public exhibition (letters should have been sent to all residents in a 2326 and 2327 postcode). The only community group consulted was Kurri Kurri Landcare - Kurri Landcare's response was "relocation of plant to alternate site".

There has been a fire on the site previously (2021), and unapproved items and chemicals were found in storage by the fire brigade. How can we be confident that there are sufficient policies, procedures, training and security in place to prevent a recurrence of this disaster.

There is insufficient information on which chemicals will be in the additional waste streams and where they will be coming from. Instead, Appendix C contains a list of a vast number of chemicals - surely one consent can't be granted for all these chemicals without further information on HOW they will be stored and treated?

Kurri Kurri High School and Weston Public School are directly in line with prevailing winds for a large part of the year. This exposes a high number of students to direct contact with potentially toxic airborne particles and offensive odours which are difficult to remove from waste gases. Kurri Kurri TAFE is also in line with prevailing winds and is another large population in close proximity to this site. This is in addition to the large townships of Kurri & Weston with many residents impacted by odour from the site.

Taking the above concerns into consideration, I would like to request that further consultation be undertaken with a focus on a face-to-face community forum to allow residents (particularly those who are not technology competent) to make submissions and have the opportunity to ask questions of experts who can best explain the likely impacts of the burning of these additional wastes. Please take on this request and pursue a community forum to put concerns at ease.

I wish to express my objection to SSD-24668706, Weston Aluminium Additional Waste Streams.
As a nearby resident, I object to the applicant intending to store in bulk, many hazardous wastes, including PFAS and PCB. Recently there has been much media coverage regarding the long term environmental and health issues relating to sites contaminated with PFAS, including the landholders within the Williamtown Contamination Red Zone, and the Truegain site in Rutherford.
The application indicates that 100 to 200 tonnes of PFAS and 100 to 200 tonnes of PCB will be stored and processed on site per annum. I object to any quantity of either PFAS or PCB being stored or processed, as the negative health impacts of both have been clearly documented.
The prevailing winds (Westerly, and South Easterly) in the location will mean that when blowing from the west, any combustion plume, odour and dust will impact residents of Kurri Kurri, including Kurri Kurri High School, which is less then 1000m from Weston Aluminium. When blowing from the south east, any combustion plume, odour and dust will impact residents of Weston, Sawyers Gully, and Loxford, including the Sawyers Gully Urban Investigation Area, and Loxford Waters residential development – both of which will see a large increase in population in coming years. I object on behalf of myself, and the other potentially affected residents.
Weston Aluminium was the site of a major fire on 14-11-2021 https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-11-14/kurri-kurri-factory-blaze-smoke-fuelled-by-hand-sanitiser/100619528 which saw major impact of Kurri Kurri residents. I believe that this incident clearly illustrates that the site is unsuitable for any bulk storage of hazardous materials, and I object to the proposal to add further materials to those already processed and stored on site.
Weston Aluminium adjoins Swamp Creek. The Swamp / Fishery Creek Floodplain Risk Management Study and Plan undertaken by Cessnock City Council clearly shows that the Weston Aluminium Site was inundated with floodwater during the June 2007 flood event, and, also my property, which also adjoins Swamp Creek. There have been two serious flooding events since then – April 2015 and July 2022 both of which impacted my property to a greater extent than the June 2007 event. I object to the storage of environmentally dangerous materials in a site that is located on a floodplain.

Re: Planning Proposal Weston Aluminium Expansion

I object to the project. This waste according to the report includes many hazardous substances such as arsenic, cyanide, lead, mercury, PFAS substances, residue from industrial waste disposal and contaminated soil.

I understand that since 2018 Weston Aluminium has been processing medical waste, quarantined items and biohazards e.g. human body parts. However, the further expansion into the substances listed in the previous paragraph above is a cause for concern for residents. Anybody who lives in the area has noticed the foul-smelling smoke from that area, and the fire started by hand sanitiser on November 14, 2021, which spread to include, paint, rubber, plastics and aluminium dross does not provide any confidence in the business to adhere to safety measures and protect surrounding residents and environment. My, then 10 year old, son has asthma and suffered severely whilst that fire sent thick black toxic plumes of smoke into the air, covering Kurri and surrounding suburbs, which took over 200 fire fighters 2 days to fully extinguish.

I am opposed to this development going ahead but if it does, it would be appropriate for Weston Aluminium to cover the costs for air quality monitoring stations in various areas around the neighbouring towns, which would then be monitored by independent contractors to ensure the safety and health of those in the area.

Yours sincerely,
Concerned Resident

No issues with the project after reading through the documentation

I object to the proposed changes upon Weston Aluminium (WA) Waste Streams. After reading the proposal, the EIS and living within 1km of WA for the past year I strongly decline.
There are many hazards/risks involved for Kurri Kurri residential community. WA has already had a fire outbreak within my first 3 months of living here, this fire took nearly 200 firefighters at one time and over a day to extinguish. The malodourous stench and soot were present for days. There is also a constant malodour from the building site which increases with heat. The bushland across from us is unable to be enjoyed by locals for recreational purposes due to the unpleasant stench.

WA state if the do nothing approach is undertaken there will be a decrease in operation, impacts to employment, further capability and capacity constraints and limit the productive use of LGA land zoned for industrial use.
The facility should not be within 1km of any residential building and would benefit from a change of address rather than increasing the hazards that WA has not been able to manage as seen by the recent fire. The industrial land could be used for operations more beneficial to the increasing community of Kurri and surrounds.

The Waste treatments proposed are physio-chemical treatment and consolidation. The EIS then states that projects likely to significantly affect the environment require an EIS. This statement alone shows that WA will impact the environment and therefore the community of Kurri by these changes going ahead.
The site initially opened with 6 employees and one rotary furnace there is now multiple buildings running multiple operations on site and already has signs of environmental impact such as the smell.

The project aims to refit and modify the aldex building which is the closest on site to my home. This will produce noise pollution for myself and my neighbours. The roads around Kurri are already deteriorated and only being patched until another erosion period to arise. Travelling with heavy machinery on our roads is only going to further deteriorate them and cause damage to cars and potentially cause road accidents trying to avoid them.

The plant is able to operate 24/7. It states the front gate and surrounding fence will be manned during only business hours then states (7am-10pm?)to prevent arson attacks. There is such a high risk for the facility to not be monitored 24/7 for security purposes and preventative purposes. I have physically driver into the driveway of WA during the evening and been unable to see another car and the front gate has been opened.

The EIS states that flammable chemical materials will be kept behind a FRL 240/240/240 door. These doors are able to withstand 4 hours only depending on the variable load 240 minutes structural adequacy, 240 minutes integrity and 240 minutes insulation. The previous fire at WA lasted for over 15 hours , please explain how this fire wall will prevent the possibility of a entire building fire, toxic fumes release, ignition of other chemical substances, potential for explosion and loss of life? If a fire lasts for 15 hours the wall will be completely disregardable. A chain mesh fence to separate gasses from liquid flammables isn't necessary as states within the EIS as the fire would take over the entire bunker therefore igniting both liquid and gas flammable material.

4.8.3 states that most wastes to be received will be consolidated using physiochemical treatment. Therefore more risk as more chemicals to be stored. Which then leads to greater risk of human error.
4.8.5 states the aldex building will hold three 25L tanks to liquidise packaged waste and this liquid will be disposed off or transferred off-site in land fill making a risk of exposure in the event of an accident or damage to the vehicle transferring this.
5.2.2 states that IN3 zones are to provide suitable areas for those industries that need to be separated from other land uses. again WA should never have been put next to and up and coming community without knowing the long term effects on the land and health of the community. It is now E5 land- Heavy Industrial as of 1st Dec, why did it change? did it change for this project to go ahead?
Table 6-2 states there was an information day on 17 November 2022 however as someone who lives directly in line with WA I wasn't informed, no letter received regarding same. None of my questions about this project have been answered. I am 26 years old and do not read the newspaper. As such a big project was coming up , I would think a letterbox drop to the residents closely situated would be appropriate.
Table 6-3 states there is an issue raised of traffic to urban areas. This further disrupts the community and brings risk for road erosion as stated above.
Table 6-5 states the issues raise and where addressed. I feel as though the where addressed part just dismisses our concerns as a community. It states there is concern about past breaches at the WA site and the addressed section stated WA have an established safety system with comprehensive training and 24/7 CCTV. Please don't dismiss the fire within the last 14 months. Among other incidents not open to public as every workplace has. Human error is a constant hazard and CCTV will not stop arson, vandalism and other criminal operation. Cameras only deter they do not cease criminal behaviour. The traffic route's are largely industrial zoning however residential vehicles make up a lot of the traffic on these roads. Heavy vehicles are more equipped to deal with the erosion on our roads however small vehicles are being damaged, written off and at the owners expense. When our roads are complained about numerous time and eventually fixed they are only patched temporarily.

6.5 states as the project progresses refinement of the document and tools may be required. Therefore leading me to believe that there are risks and hazards that are unaccounted for again with no invite to the open day to express this concern.

7 impact statement.
7.1 - Major impact 24hr-48hr production delay with reputation damage state-wide has occurred within last 14 months. The only high risk identified is that of a fire at the facility due to increased waste streams. This has occurred , have the moderate and minor and low risks occurred without being televised to prevent reputation distress?

The data in figure 7.1 only states the average temperatures, Kurri is very hot and humid and it has reached 40 degrees this year.
The figure 7-6 regarding wind is one hour of 8760 hours in a year. This seems like a small amount of information for such a large variable.

7.2.4.2 Dust emissions are expected to increase during the proje4ct building phase, as a resident with a house full of hay fever this is worrisome for myself. Antihistamines are not cheap and I don't feel as though i should be financially responsible for buying these to take every day during production.
Stack 2 -cold air fabric filter maintaining the processing plant where changes are to occur was deleted following Nov 2021 fire however is still on the protection license for reinstatement - is this being reinstated ? What is the effect on the community with not having a cold air fabric filter. what is the importance of it? Stack 3 was destroyed completely in the fire - if another fire occurs this only reinforced my concern of the risk of environmental impact. It states that stack 7 will be controlling and ventilating emissions from the new aldex physio-chemical treatments. There is a known risk of fire destroying this stack as it did with stack 3 and 2, then what? what is the expected outcome if this happens?
The mitigation measures in table 7-11 mostly come down to humans. Again a huge risk for human error and negligence.

Construction hours are deeply going to effect me. I am a nurse and attend afternoon and night shift. 7am starts on construction is very disturbing as we have multiple dogs around who will be disrupted by WA noise and they are unlikely to settle and accommodate to the new noises causing disturbance to the neighbours. I understand the Db level may be compliant however animals are not and I truly believe his should be considered.
I would like more information on the flood impact. We have a major storm water artery running through our backyard. If there is a flood and the canal on the other side of our street is blocked up which runs behind the WA site will this impact our backyard and potentially leak chemicals? I understand it states that chemical are to be stored above flood level but this isn't always practical and what if they are in transportation at the time and not storage, human error etc ? I again feel like this risk has not been clarified satisfactory for myself,.

I am running out of characters to write, so I will conclude with this. The more I read this EIS, the more issues, concerns, hazards and risks arise. I do NOT want this proposed agreement to go ahead as I do not believe WA have the capability and ability to store and manage the current operations and chemicals as seen by Nov 21 fire. I believe this is a huge risk of reoccurrence and there are many other risks undocumented and unaccounted for. I think residents within 1km should have had a letter drop regarding the information day on 17 Dec 22 as this would help establish positive outlooks on the project, however this did not occur and it now appears like WA didn't want residents to attend and ask the difficult questions. It seems that all risks just happen to fall under compliant boundaries.
I Understand being a single person that I am a minority and my opinion here will likely go unnoticed. However in years to come when the people who thought this upgrade would be a great idea are all dead and the community of Kurri and environment of Kurri has suffered from this upgrade, don't say this generation didn't tell you so. Kind Regards S

Re: Planning Proposal Weston Aluminium Expansion

I am a local mother living in Weston with three children. We have lived in the area for just over 6 years after relocating from inner Newcastle. I have multiple concerns about additional waste at weston aluminium.
A major factor is the air pollution, as a severe asthmatic, air quality is a massive issue already in this area. I also would like to know that the area I'm bringing my children up in isn't exposing them to unnecessary pollutants.

It has come to my attention through social media that Weston Aluminium has submitted a planning proposal to accept additional waste streams through the Additional Waste Streams - Storage and Treatment Scoping Report. This waste according to the report includes many hazardous substances such as arsenic, cyanide, lead, mercury, PFAS substances, residue from industrial waste disposal and contaminated soil.
I understand that since 2018 Weston Aluminium has been processing medical waste, quarantined items and biohazards e.g. human body parts. However, the further expansion into the substances listed in the previous paragraph above is a cause for concern for Weston and Kurri Kurri residents. Anybody who lives in the area has noticed the foul-smelling smoke from that area, and the fire started by hand sanitiser on November 14, 2021, which spread to include, paint, rubber, plastics and aluminium dross does not provide any confidence in the business to adhere to safety measures and protect surrounding residents and environment.
The proposal outlines the “regional area of the site” but it is clear that the author of the proposal has never been to the area as the Weston aluminium site is essentially on Kurri Kurri’s doorstep, and only 2 kilometres from Weston.
I am opposed to this development going ahead but if it does, it would be appropriate for Weston Aluminium to cover the costs for air quality monitoring stations in various areas around the neighbouring towns, which would then be monitored by independent contractors to ensure the safety and health of those in the area.
I would appreciate your help in setting up a community meeting so that concerned residents can attend and have their say before submissions close to the proposal on 7th March 2023, and make an informed decision to submit an objection to the planning proposal if they choose to.
Thank you again, and I appreciate your support.
Yours sincerely,
Weston Resident

My name is Josephine Blissett, a resident of Weston (Ward C). I have lived in the Cessnock area for most of my life, and my Fiancée and I purchased our first home in Weston in October 2021.

It has come to my attention through social media that Weston Aluminium has submitted a planning proposal to accept additional waste streams through the Additional Waste Streams - Storage and Treatment Scoping Report. This waste according to the report includes many hazardous substances such as arsenic, cyanide, lead, mercury, PFAS substances, residue from industrial waste disposal and contaminated soil.

I understand that since 2018 Weston Aluminium has been processing medical waste, quarantined items and biohazards e.g. human body parts. However, the further expansion into the substances listed in the previous paragraph above is a cause for concern for Weston and Kurri Kurri residents. Anybody who lives in the area has noticed the foul-smelling smoke from that area, and the fire started by hand sanitiser on November 14, 2021 which spread to include, paint, rubber, plastics and aluminium dross does not provide any confidence in the business to adhere to safety measures and protect surrounding residents and environment.

The proposal outlines the “regional area of the site” but it is clear that the author of the proposal has never been to the area as the Weston Aluminium site is essentially on Kurri Kurri’s doorstep, and only 2 kilometres from Weston.
I am opposed to this development going ahead but if it does, it would be appropriate for Weston Aluminium to cover the costs for air quality monitoring stations in various areas around the neighbouring towns, which would then be monitored by independent contractors to ensure the safety and health of those in the area.

It is also concerning that the community has not been consulted on what has been labelled a "state significant development", considering it is us who it will affect most. I urge you to organise a meeting that local residents can attend to have the safety and health concerns of this development addressed.

Thank you again, and I appreciate your support.
Yours sincerely,
Josephine Blissett

I object to the application on the following grounds.

The company has failed to handle waste in a responsible manner and put the health and safety of the Kurri community at risk before when having a major blaze.

Their extremely poor response to that blaze reflects on their inability to manage their existing permissions let alone an increased amount.

Their failure at that event by hiding and not fully informing the community was a blackmark against this company showing they are not a fit and proper company to hold permissions of this nature.

2. The closeness to the residential community makes this a highly dangerous proposal to houses not only bordering this facility that should not be allowed near residential housing but towards responsible businesses who will be required to shut down when this plant does explode again due to their inability to maintain proper safe storage as has been shown before.

3. There are more adequate sites in Kurri for this type of operation that would reduce the danger towards the people of Kurri that this company refuse to move or seriously considering moving to. Even though after their last blaze they had the opportunity to do so.

We are all aware of the fiasco of this facilities failure to safely dispose of expired hand sanitiser. The community is not going to trust this company to dispose of much more dangerous products that have a higher potential to cause significant harm to the community.