Adbri - Birkenhead

To ensure a continued focus on environmental improvements at the Adbri Birkenhead site, the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) required Adbri to develop and implement an Environment Improvement Programme (EIP). An EIP is a regulatory tool under the Environment Protection Act 1993 that requires licensees to specify the actions that they will take to achieve compliance with the general environmental duty. EIPs must include a clear and demonstrable schedule of the improvements the licensee will implement.

In accordance with its EPA licence, Adbri was required to submit a revised EIP to the EPA’s satisfaction by 31 May 2024. Adbri’s EIP was submitted by this date, however, it was deemed unsatisfactory by the EPA. Based on this and a significant dust emission event from Adbri during May, the EPA issued an Environment Protection Order which required Adbri to submit a revised EIP with significantly tighter dust control commitments, by 31 October 2024.

In determining the actions committed to in its EIP, Adbri engaged a suitably qualified expert to undertake a detailed assessment of options to prevent or minimise emissions from its site. A number of recommended options were identified in this process, and consideration of the actions, timeframes and milestones of these options have been considered in the revised EIP.

The EPA also required that Adbri undertake public consultation with the community as a key part of developing its revised EIP.

Two additional community air quality monitoring stations were also established during September 2024 by the EPA (Naval Reserve, Birkenhead and Peter Nicholls Reserve, Peterhead) to better understand the nature of local dust impacts.

The EPA formally approved Adbri’s EIP on 15 November 2024 and a copy is available here.

The EPA attended the quarterly Adbri Community Liaison Group meeting on 2 September 2024 and provided a presentation to the CLG. The presentation provided an update on the work that the EPA has undertaken since the previous update to the CLG on 22 July 2024.

The presentation is available here.

On Monday 19 August community members took the opportunity to drop in and speak one-on-one with staff from the EPA and SA Health about their concerns regarding dust from Adbri Birkenhead. Factsheets were available providing an update on the EPA’s regulatory response and general information in response to health concerns raised. Both factsheets are available below:

• SA Health factsheet – Air quality and your health
• EPA factsheet – Dust from Adbri Birkenhead

Following Adbri's Birkenhead Community Liaison Group (CLG) meeting on Monday 3 June, an additional meeting was held on Monday 22 July. The EPA arranged for SA Health representatives to attend the 22 July CLG meeting to provide responses to questions from the community about the particles released during the recent dust event, and to provide general information in response to health concerns raised. The EPA also provided an update at the 22 July CLG meeting. Both presentations are available below:

• SA Health presentation - Adbri Birkenhead - 22 July 2024
• EPA presentation - Adbri Birkenhead - 22 July 2024

If you have any questions about the SA Health presentation, please contact SA Health at health.chemicalandenvironmentalhazards@sa.gov.au.

The EPA collected deposited dust samples on 28 and 29 May from windowsills, door frames, and the tops of bins at 19 different locations around the Adbri Birkenhead facility. These samples were then analysed by a certified laboratory for mineralogical composition using semi-quantitative x-ray diffraction (XRD).

The XRD results highlighted calcite, hatrurite, and quartz as the three most abundant minerals present in these dust samples.

See below for a summary of the results or download the full report:

• Mineralogical Report - AN1099

Calcite

Calcite (CaCO_3, a major component of cement) generally decreased with increasing distance from the Adbri facility. The amount (weight %) of calcite in the samples collected ranged from 10% to 52%.

Amount of calcite by address – the blue circles are proportional to the % calcite component.

Hatrurite

Hatrurite (Ca₃SiO_5, an important phase in cement clinker) also generally decreased or was not detected with increasing distance from the Adbri facility. The amount of hatrurite in the samples ranged from 2% to 30% and was not detected in five samples (green circles).

Amount of hatrurite by address – the blue circles are proportional to the % hatrurite component.

Quartz

Quartz (SiO_2, the most common mineral on earth and a major component of normal dust) generally increased with increasing distance from the Adbri facility. This indicates more natural/normal dust moving away from the Adbri facility. The amount of quartz in the samples ranged from 16% to 71%.

Amount of quartz by address – the blue circles are proportional to the % quartz component.

Some of the questions we have frequently been asked about Adbri's Birkenhead facility include:

• What caused the May 2024 dust event at Birkenhead?
• What is clinker?
• What’s the EPA’s role and what has the EPA done in response to this dust event?
• What is the EPA doing in response to community concerns about ongoing dust from Adbri?
• Does the EPA conduct air quality monitoring in Birkenhead?
• Is there any dust monitoring undertaken by Adbri?
• Was the dust event detected on EPA air quality monitors?
• What are the EPA licence requirements for Adbri?

Understanding dust and health:

• What are particulates?
• What are the national and international air quality standards?
• Nuisance dust
• What are the potential health effects from exposure to particulate matter?
• Can dust exposure affect my health?
• What do I do if I have symptoms from the dust?
• Can my fruit and vegetables still be consumed?
• Is the rainwater in my tank safe to drink and water my garden?
• What is the odour that I can smell in the area?
• Who can I talk to about the damage to my property?

Answers to these questions are available on our Frequently Asked Questions page.

SA Health contact

For general health information, SA Health can be contacted via email or call 8226 7100 and ask to speak to the Chemical and Environmental Hazards team.

Contact the EPA

The EPA is committed to keeping community members informed and updated. If you would like to talk to someone about your concerns, please contact the EPA:

• (08) 8124 4216
• engage.epa@sa.gov.au