Adbri - Birkenhead
Dust levels
In May 2024, the EPA received a series of community complaints regarding dust from Adbri’s Birkenhead site. On 17 May 2024, Adbri confirmed that the major sources of the dust event were an open vent in a materials storage shed and mechanical issues with a fan. Adbri advised that remedial measures had been implemented, with the fan fixed and containment of the shed being completed.
The EPA has been meeting with community members to better understand their concerns. The EPA acknowledges that the community is concerned about not just the May 2024 reported dust event, but also ongoing dust emissions from the Adbri Birkenhead site. The EPA is working to ensure that continuous improvement of dust controls remains an important focus in its regulation of Adbri.
The EPA’s response includes regular meetings with Adbri, increased surveillance and inspection activity, reviewing air quality monitoring data, collecting deposited dust samples from various locations in the community and initiation of an air quality monitoring campaign in Peterhead and Birkenhead.
Reports of dust can be submitted to the EPA by email.
More information can be found here:
Engage EPA
The Adbri Cement site is located on the LeFevre Peninsula, in an industrial area that is adjacent to the residential areas of Birkenhead, Peterhead and Largs Bay.
Adbri produces a range of cement and cement products. Cement production started at the Birkenhead site in 1911.
The company is regulated by the EPA under the Environment Protection Act 1993. The EPA seeks to ensure that all reasonable and practicable measures are taken to protect, restore and enhance the quality of the environment according to the principles of ecologically sustainable development. To achieve this objective, the EPA uses a number of regulatory principles and actions outlined in the Compliance and enforcement regulatory options and tools.
The company is licensed to undertake several activities of environmental significance including:
- cement works
- activities producing listed wastes
- bulk shipping facilities
- crushing, grinding or milling works (rock, ores or minerals)
- fuel burning.
Conditions of the licence require Adbri to implement a number of management plans to address environmental considerations at the site, and meet specific monitoring, reporting and notification requirements. These requirements aim for continuous environmental improvement at the site, and compliance with legislation, including:
- Environment Protection Act 1993
- Environment Protection (Water Quality) Policy 2015
- Environment Protection (Air Quality) Policy 2016
- Environment Protection (Commercial and Industrial Noise) Policy 2023.
Documents, plans and reports
Dust management, monitoring and reporting
Air particulate management plan
The EPA often requires licensees via a condition of licence to develop an air particulate management plan (APMP) to reduce the risk of offsite dust impacts.
Adbri’s APMP specifically focuses on fugitive dust emissions, as stack emissions are addressed in Adbri’s approved stack particulate management plan. The APMP outlines trigger values, as well as action and response strategies, to prevent and minimise particulate emissions arising from ground level sources of dust.
Real-time dust monitoring
The APMP requires Adbrito provide public access to real-time monitoring data of PM10 and PM2.5 from air quality monitors located within the community.
Quarterly and annual reporting
Adbri provides quarterly and annual reports to the EPA regarding the implementation of the APMP. These reports include, but are not limited to, reporting of:
- dates, triggers, action and response strategies implemented
- trend analysis of monitoring data with community complaints
- opportunities for continual improvement in dust management.
Adbri must ensure public access is available to its quarterly and annual reports. The timeframe of monitoring and due dates for submission of reports to the EPA is summarised in the table below.
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Timeframe of monitoring
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Due date for submission
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January to March
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30 April
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April to June
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31 July
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July to September
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31 October
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October to December
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31 January
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Annual
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14 February
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Ground level air quality notifications and continual improvement
Adbri must also, as a condition of licence, provide notification to the EPA within 48 hours when particulate limits are exceeded at any of its community air quality monitoring locations. Notification must include the date, cause, the measured particulate concentration and any remedial actions taken to reduce particulate emissions. The EPA is subsequently able to assess each notification, to ensure all reasonable and practicable measures are being implemented at the site to minimise particulate emissions, with the aim of continual improvement.
Stack management, monitoring and reporting
Stack notifications
Adbri must take all reasonable and practicable measures to prevent particulate emissions exceeding 80 milligram (Kiln Stack 4A) or 50 milligram (Precalciner Stack 4B) per m3 based on a 1-hour average. When stack emissions exceed the limit specified, Adbri must take all reasonable and practicable immediate action to reduce emissions below the limit. It is important to note that these limits are not intended to be a maximum pollutant concentration, but are instead intended to drive good process control, implementation of corrective actions by Adbri when these limits are triggered, and to ensure timely notification to the EPA.
Adbri must provide notification to the EPA as soon as reasonably practicable of any exceedance of the limit. The information contained within each notification is expected to assist in identifying opportunities for continual improvement at the site and this is specifically to be addressed through quarterly reporting.
The EPA’s response and compliance decisions in relation to any notification depends on a range of factors including the nature and extent of the notification event, and the information received from the company regarding the cause and/or corrective actions undertaken. The EPA’s regulatory response is based on the foundation of firm and fair compliance and enforcement in a timely manner.
Stack particulate management plan
The EPA requires Adbri to implement an EPA-approved stack particulate management plan (SPMP) to minimise the offsite risks of stack particulate emissions. The SPMP focuses on continuous monitoring of particulate emissions, and trigger and response strategies to prevent high-level emissions.
Stack testing
A condition of licence requires Adbri to undertake twice-yearly stack emission testing.
Please see Archive documents on this page for historical stack testing reports.
Quarterly and annual reporting
Adbri provides quarterly and annual reports to the EPA, which includes, but is not limited to, reporting of:
- details of exceedance notifications including date, duration, cause, measured particulate concentration
- actions taken to reduce particulate emissions and corrective actions taken to prevent future events of the same kind
- trend analysis and trend comparisons, including of monitoring data with community complaints
- opportunities for continual improvement.
Public access to quarterly and annual reports is available via Adbri community website. The timeframe of reporting and due dates for submission of reports to the EPA is summarised in the table below.
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Timeframe of monitoring
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Due date for submission
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January to March
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30 April
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April to June
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31 July
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July to September
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31 October
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October to December
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31 January
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Annual
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31 October
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Noise management
To prevent and minimise noise emissions, the EPA requires Adbri via a condition of licence to implement an EPA-approved noise management plan (NMP).
The NMP includes:
- detailed action and response strategies to prevent and minimise noise emissions
- a framework for provision of quarterly and annual reports to the EPA, and a requirement for Adbri to ensure public access to these reports.
In addition, the EPA requires Adbri to strive for continual improvement in noise management by implementation of ongoing noise abatement works via an EPA approved EIP (see below). These works included noise improvements in regards to:
- gas supply train
- kiln feed elevator gearbox
- clinker gantry dust collector fans – reorientate the discharge of the dust collectors to face north.
Quarterly and annual reporting
Public access to quarterly and annual noise management reports is available via the Adbri community website. The timeframe of reporting and due dates for submission of reports to the EPA is summarised in the table below.
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Timeframe of monitoring
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Due date for submission
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January to March
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14 May
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April to June
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15 August
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July to September
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15 November
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October to December
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14 February
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Annual
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14 February
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Environment improvement program (EIP)
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.
Air quality monitoring
EPA
Add to my listReal-time monitoring
The EPA has two ambient monitoring stations – Le Fevre 1 and 2. Click the link below and scroll down to regions to view the air quality monitoring data.
EPA stations
Add to my listHow to interpret air quality data
Location of air quality monitoring stations
PM10 levels and averaging period
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1-hour average*
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24-hour rolling average
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What is it?
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The average PM10 levels over a one-hour period.
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An average of the hourly readings of PM10 levels over the previous 24-hour period.
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How often is the average calculated
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Every hour
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The previous 24 one-hour readings are averaged each hour.
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What does it say about air quality? |
It tells us about PM10 levels over the previous 1-hour period.
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It tells us about air quality over the previous 24 hours.
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Does this type of data trigger any health advice or regulatory response?
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No |
Yes, if the levels are above relevant criteria**.
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What is this data used for?
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1-hour average data can quickly show when an increase in PM10 is happening. It can also indicate how severe it is. |
Compliance reporting – 24-hour average data is compared to the SA EPA’s regulatory criteria and source identification |
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Why don't all increased PM10 levels trigger regulatory response?
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In Le Fevre, dust can originate from variety of sources such as motor vehicles, earthworks, domestic sources, wind blown natural dust or industrial activities such as Adbri. Only when winds are blowing from the direction of Adbri and PM10 levels are above criteria for that day, may the EPA trigger a regulatory response.
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* EPA real time monitoring display concentration for recent 1-hour average
** Ground level concentration criterion for PM10 is 50 µg/m3
Graphical presentation – wind direction would need to occur in the direction of the green arrows for a dust source to be from the Adbri site.
Source identification
EPA scientists carefully examine monitored dust levels, weather data and any other available information is used to determine if a particular dust event may trigger any regulatory response. The following factors are considered.
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Information
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What does it mean
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Wind direction (forecast or observations)
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Wind direction would inform where the dust is coming from (eg natural/ regional dust)
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Wind speed (forecast or observations)
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Wind speed would determine how far dust would have travelled. Higher winds speed (eg more than 30 km/hr) can potentially raise the dust levels in general
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Dust levels are recorded high at all monitors (eg PM10 greater than 80µg/m3 for 1 hour)
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Potentially a regional scale dust event in the metro area. Wind direction will provide further information
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Dust levels high at one monitor and not others
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Potentially a local dust event. Source can be interpreted from observed wind speed and direction
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Other weather conditions(s)
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Other weather conditions such as rain or storms can have an effect on dust levels (eg heavy rain may reduce the dust concentration)
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Add to my listAir quality index (AQI)
An index for any given pollutant is its concentration expressed as a percentage of the relevant criteria, or
Index = Pollutant Concentration
---------------------------------------- X 100
Pollutant Criteria
Based on the percentage values, there are 5 AQI values:
For dust (PM10 or PM2.5) AQI uses an average of the preceding 24 hours of PM10 or PM2.5 readings, divided by the 24-hour air quality criteria of 50 µg/m3 for PM10 and 25 µg/m3 for PM2.5.
Notes about AQI displayed on the EPA website
- The table show average pollutant concentrations for the previous hour. Concentrations are displayed in μg/m3 for particles (TSP, PM10 and fine particles PM2.5).
- Recent air quality data is indicative only and may be affected by instruments not working correctly, power failures and the like. Data will be validated at a later date.
- Times shown on this page are Australian Central Standard Time (ACST). During daylight savings an hour will need to be added to the times shown.
- Recent air quality table displays 1-hour average pollutant concentrations for each of our monitoring sites.
- Data on the AQI page is updated hourly at half past the hour, so air quality for the period 8 am to 9 am will be shown at 9.30 am.
- In order to get an overall air quality, the index for each pollutant is calculated. The maximum of these figures is taken to be the index for that monitoring station.
Adbri
Adbri stations
Alternate fuel and raw materials
Adbri is licensed to use a range of alternative fuels and raw materials (AFRM) in its cement manufacturing process. The AFRM that Adbri is licensed to use, and the maximum feed rates, are specified in Schedule X–1.
Adbri currently supplements its use of natural gas (as a fuel) through the approved use of a Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) in its Calciner and has done so since 2004. Schedule X–1 of Licence 1126 specifies that Adbri is licensed to use RDF with a maximum of 20% plastic content at a maximum feed rate of 32 tonnes per hour. The licence aligns with the EPA Standard for the production and use of refuse derived fuel. In addition, Adbri operates pursuant to an approved Recovered Products Plan with regard to its current acceptance and use of RDF. These controls ensure that quality assurance measures are in place and that appropriate material is received and used.
Changes to the current approved alternate fuels and raw materials requires Adbri to produce a detailed pre-trial report, the completion of the approved trial methodology and submission of a post-trial report to the EPA, as per conditions of EPA Licence 1126. This includes detailed studies for specific air pollutants to demonstrate compliance with the Environment Protection (Air Quality) Policy 2016, and ensuring the local community and other stakeholders are consulted and advised on any new proposal.
The EPA is aware of Adbri's aspirations to increase alternate fuel use at the Birkenhead facility and understands that the Company is exploring the use of an additional RDF derived from municipal solid waste (MSW).
Please view the Adbri community website for the latest information.
Community engagement
The EPA has received a series of community complaints regarding dust from Adbri’s Birkenhead site. Further information can be found on Engage EPA.
Adbri undertakes community engagement in accordance with its community engagement plan.
In addition to convening a community liaison group every quarter, Adbri is required to:
- provide public access to its real-time monitoring data of PM10 and PM2.5 from within the community
- in the event that ground level concentrations are exceeded at monitoring sites within the community, provide public access to an explanation of why the exceedance occurred
- consult with the community regarding the development of EIPs
- provide public access to management plans and quarterly and annual reports
- keep ongoing records of community complaints and concerns
- undertake trend analysis between community complaints and air quality monitoring data.
The EPA attended the Adbri Community Liaison Group (CLG) quarterly meeting on 3 June 2024, and our responses to questions raised by community members in attendance can be found on Engage EPA.
The EPA has spoken to SA Health who have confirmed that their representative will attend the next community meeting, expected to be held in July.
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:
- Phone: (08) 8124 4216
- Email
Archived documents
Environment improvement program reports
ABC
Stack monitoring
Stack testing
Ambient monitoring (quarterly updates)
Impact assessment reports
Emission reports – Air emissions monitoring of release points 4A & 4B
Noise
Reports
Surveys
EPA
Further information
For all enquiries, please contact the EPA on (08) 8204 2004 or via email. This line is answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in the case of an emergency. If the matter is not urgent you will have your called returned within business hours.
For health-related queries, please contact SA Health on (08) 8226 7100.
For further information from Adelaide Brighton Cement, please call (08) 8300 0520 or visit the Adbri website or visit the Adbri Community Liaison Group dedicated page.
