In 2023 and 2024, Fyfe carried out a package of comprehensive baseline environmental assessments for 226 operational petroleum and retail sites nationwide.
Overview
Commencing in July 2023, Fyfe undertook the rapid assessment of over 220 operational service stations and depot sites nationwide, assessing baseline conditions and compliance with state regulatory requirements.
It was crucial to our client, a national petroleum retail operator, that these assessments be completed in a timely manner prior to the sites being leased to another company. As with many lease agreements, it was necessary to establish the sites’ existing conditions, in order to evaluate any changes that might occur over the lease period. Fyfe provided our client with an in-depth understanding of each site’s current contamination status, providing a baseline to work from when the new lease commenced.
The individual reports will also be crucial to future site development, avoiding additional costs or liabilities to our client due to undetected contamination. They additionally provide the lessee with valuable information about the sites, and an assurance that they are fit for purpose and safe for ongoing operations.
Drilling and groundwater sampling activities commenced in July 2023 and were undertaken non-stop for over a year. Reports for all sites were delivered by August 2024, concluding the intensive assessment process. The project’s scope was vast, including both metropolitan and regional sites across South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales, Northern Territory, and Western Australia. In total, Fyfe’s team of environmental specialists conducted 226 site assessments in a total of 289 working days.
Fyfe’s role and responsibilities
The primary objective of the project was to establish the current contamination status of each site, ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements and mitigating potential future risks.
Fyfe undertook a detailed investigation of each site, commencing with a desktop review of historical development, site activities and potential sources of contamination, and progressing to assessments of soil, groundwater, soil vapour contamination and/or indoor air quality at each site.
Project Volante by the numbers
- An average of one site assessment completed and reported each working day.
- Over 3.38 tonnes of soil collected and submitted for laboratory analysis.
- Over 4,800 sets of groundwater samples, or nearly 2,500 litres of groundwater, collected and submitted for laboratory analysis.
- Over 9,917 metres drilled – more than the height of Mount Everest.
- Collectively, the reports completed totalled over 864,000 words – equivalent to the complete works of William Shakespeare.
Delivering environmental excellence
Fyfe was pleased to support our client with this significant project, as we have been able to support them over the last 12 years of our collaboration, as they strive for rigorous environmental standards across all company sites.
Our integrated project team consisted of environmental specialists, scientists, engineers, surveyors and other experts. Being able to offer integrated services was instrumental in achieving the project’s objectives within the tight time frame.
Fyfe offers practical and cost-effective environmental services, including contaminated land assessment, remediation and management, ecological investigations, and environmental engineering solutions. Our team of experienced environmental scientists and engineers responds quickly and professionally, tailoring services to meet your specific needs.
To discuss your next project or to talk to a member of our environmental team, please contact us.
