Fuel tanks to be replaced to remediate contamination

An application has been submitted to Central Coast Council to replace fuel storage tanks, fuel dispensers and the associated canopy at a Blackwall service station.

The work would be designed to remediate groundwater contamination at the Caltex service station in Memorial Ave, near the Warrigal St corner.

The site has been regulated under the Contaminated Land Management Act since 2005.

The proposal is the result of negotiations with Environment Protection Authority for a new voluntary management plan to remove all fuel tanks on the site of the service station, the authority has confirmed.

The plan would include excavation of impacted soils.

The development application, submitted by KDC Pty Ltd of Newcastle West on behalf of Caltex Australia, states the alterations and additions would be "generally in line with existing development".

Once approved, the voluntary management plan would be available on the contaminated land public record on the Authority's website.

The website shows that, in 2010, a voluntary management approval was issued by the authority to undertake monitoring and remediation works after the soil or water was found to be contaminated with dissolved phase petroleum hydrocarbons and benzene.

Another approval was signed in 2011 and completed in 2015.

A third voluntary management proposal was approved in September 2015 and it was valid until the 31 July 2017.

The contaminants listed in that proposal included recoverable hydrocarbons, benzene, toluene, ethybenzene and xylenes as well as non-aqueous phase liquid.

The principle features of the 2015 plan included capital works as well as the remediation and monitoring.

The council has yet to complete the planning assessment of the proposal.

SOURCES:

DA Tracker, 6 Jun 2019

DA 56272, Central Coast Council

Website, 6 Jun 2019

Media Statements, 6 Jun 2019

NSW Environment Protection Authority