Media Alert
Wednesday December 10
THE ANSWER TO MELBOURNE’S CONTAMINATED SITES?
The largest soil decontamination project in Australia – and only the second clean up
of its kind in the world using the unique thermal desorption technology - will be
unveiled:
When: Thursday, December 11
At 10 am
Where: 917 Princes Highway
Springvale (Near Westall Road intersection.Proposed site of the Harvey
Norman/IKEA $300 million homemaker centre. The largest in Southern
Hemisphere).
This unique technology – endorsed by the Victorian Government and the EPA - could
also be used to clean numerous contaminated chemical, manufacturing and petroleum
sites around Melbourne.
The process avoids taking contaminated soil to landfill, is cheaper and causes minimal
disruption to neighbouring properties.
More than 20,000 tonnes of contaminated soil is being treated on the eight hectare
Harvey Norman site at a cost of $6 million.
The contaminated soil is being cleaned and neutralised by the Australian company
Innova Soil Technology using its Direct Heated, Fast Quenched, Thermal Desorption
(DFTD) process.
The process cleans the soil of hydrocarbon contaminants (Polychlorinated Biphenyl
or PCB) by heating the soil in a rotary dryer to almost 500 degrees until the
contaminants are vaporised and reduced to an “undetectable” level.
The evaporated contaminants are then heated to almost 1000 degrees and converted to
harmless carbon dioxide, water and a small portion of acid gas, which is then
neutralized.
The decontamination has been undertaken on a 24x7 basis cleansing an average of 15
tonnes of soil an hour since the plant was established on site in the mid year.
On completion of the decontamination early next year the site will be removed from
the Victorian EPA Priority Site Register enabling the $300 million construction of the
largest Harvey Norman site in Australia to commence.
Mr. Bruce Dawson, EPA executive director regional services praised Harvey Norman
for the remediation of the site although they were not responsible for the original
contamination
“On-site treatment means sending less contaminated soil to landfill,’ he said.
(News Directors/Pictorial Editors please note: The process incorporates the
contaminated rubble and soil being excavated and loaded onto a conveyor belt before
moving into the heating drums. Fifteen minutes later it cascades out of the feeder as
clean soil, which can be immediately handled. Quite graphic. KD)
For Further information
Clifton Consulting
189 Flinders lane
Melbourne 3000
Tel(03) 9654 3522
Mobile 0402 117 924
NEWS 
