Neutrog - Kanmantoo

Environmental risks from composting activities include nuisance dust and odour from the management of organic material in the composting process.

Odour

The EPA is aware of odour issues generated by the operations of Neutrog affecting the local community. The EPA licence requires Neutrog to take actions to minimise odour emissions from the site. This includes the engagement of an air quality specialist to assess odour sources and make recommendations to improve the performance of the site with the aim to reduce odour.

Neutrog finalised a staged Environment Improvement Program (EIP) in September 2023 which proposes a plan to improve the site’s odour performance. The staged EIP has been accepted by the EPA and forms part of Neutrog’s EPA licence. Key measures of the EIP include:

• Relocating initial composting stages to a new compost pad on the south of the site, furthest from Kanmantoo
• Building a shed to enclose the front-end processes (including receipt of material and initial stockpile conditioning) when the material is most odorous
• Undertaking odour modelling and monitoring (by an air quality expert) following the implementation of the above actions to assess the odour performance of the site with those measures in place.

These measures were recommended by qualified experts who assessed the odour performance of the site periodically. Neutrog has progressed aspects of the staged EIP by submitting development applications seeking approval to implement the above measures.

Dust

Neutrog has a licence requirement to implement and comply with a dust management plan, and take reasonable and practicable measures to minimise fugitive dust leaving the boundary of the site. The EPA’s role in regulating dust includes:

• Investigating dust complaints
• Conducting observations in the community to verify sources of dust
• Undertaking site inspections of the Neutrog site
• Verifying dust management practices are being implemented on site.

During composting activities, the EPA expects Neutrog to implement all appropriate measures to minimise any impact on air quality. This includes dust suppression, ensuring that meteorological conditions for certain operational activities are considered, and implementing all necessary controls to restrict and control fugitive dust leaving the site.

On 26 September 2023, Court Orders were made in settlement of the Environment, Resources and Development Court proceedings. Those Orders required Neutrog to reconfigure its stockpile dimensions to 3m (H) x 7m (W) x 25m (L) to align with the current development approval and relevant EPA licence condition. The Orders reversed the EPA’s decision to issue an Environment Protection Order (EPO), noting that the reconfiguration of the stockpiles was the primary purpose for the EPO being issued.

The EPA is monitoring Neutrog’s compliance with these Court Orders.

The EPA values feedback from the community about odour impacts because it assists with understanding the impact at different times, under various conditions, and in different geographical areas. If you are experiencing significant impacts, please visit our odour management page for more information about the EPA’s regulation of odour. Community members can lodge odour reports through the EPA’s online reporting portal or by completing a hard copy odour diary.

Community reports assist with identifying patterns, specific sources and improving the quality of information available to the EPA. Information such as odour tones and intensity, time of day, duration of the odour, impacts to amenity, and on-ground weather conditions are of particular interest to the EPA.

Some of the questions we are frequently asked include:

• What is the best way to lodge an environmental report about the Neutrog facility?
• How can I report odour impacts to the EPA?
• How can I report dust impacts to the EPA?
• What is the EPA doing to manage odour impacts from the Neutrog facility?
• Where can I find out more about Neutrog’s licence conditions?

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