Mandatory Audit under the Contaminated Sites Act of a timber mill historically using arsenic
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We took a strategic view to auditing to distill the information and optimize client needs. We worked with the end goal in mind in relation to land use, assessing opportunities and constraints within the clients' objectives. Closely working with the consultant and the client, we ensured alignment within the project team to achieve the site's suitability objective. The first phase was to reclassify land that had been inadvertently reported to the regulator as impacted following a strategic assessment. Then the approach was to focus on offsite impacts while managing onsite contamination to workers.
By reclassifying land that had been inadvertently reported as impacted, this allowed the consultant to focus effort on the areas that were contaminated. As the Auditor, we were able to recommend the successful reclassification of a large portion of the site.
CDM Smith maintained a close working relationship and supported the client with communications to the regulators and downstream landowners who may be impacted assisting with the language and conveying key messages.
CDM Smith’s team of health risk assessors supported the review and audit of the consultant's assessment. We were able to dissect the exposure pathway with an assessment of bioavailable against bio-accessible arsenic to understand risk.
The interactions among groundwater, surface water, and topography were complex, influencing the migration of contaminants. CDM Smith conducted a comprehensive review of the conceptual site model to analyse pathways to potential contaminant receptors.
The Mandatory Audit supported informed decision-making around the future use of the Deanmill Timbermill site while meeting regulatory obligations under the Contaminated Sites Act. By taking a strategic, outcomes-focused approach, CDM Smith helped reduce unnecessary regulatory burden, clarified risk pathways, and ensured that remediation and management efforts were proportionate to actual site conditions. The audit outcomes provided regulators, the client, and stakeholders with confidence that contamination risks were appropriately understood, managed, and communicated. This approach enabled practical site management solutions that balanced worker safety, environmental protection, and long-term land use objectives, while supporting regulatory compliance in a complex contaminated land setting.
Confidential Client
Confidential Location
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