Car Park Waste Encapsulation Remediation Project

Over the past 20 years, Orica has been managing contaminated soil stored under a car park at Botany Industrial Park (BIP), known as the Car Park Waste Encapsulation (CPWE). Orica is proposing to remediate this contaminated soil using a treatment method known as Directly-heated Thermal Desorption (DTD).

What is the Car Park Waste Encapsulation?

The CPWE refers to approximately 45,000 m³ of contaminated sand and coal ash stored under a car park at the north-eastern end of BIP on Corish Circle, Banksmeadow. The CPWE was encapsulated in a synthetic liner, Hypalon® in 1980. The encapsulation was subsequently covered by thick soil walls and asphalt to establish a car park.

What are the Contaminants?

The CPWE is contaminated with hexachlorobutadiene (HCBD) and low levels of hexachlorobenzene (HCB) and hexachloroethane (HCE). HCBD a waste by-product from the manufacturing of chlorinated solvents, such as tetrachloroethene (PCE, used as dry cleaning fluid), and carbon tetrachloride (CTC, an industrial solvent formerly used for manufacturing refrigerants). These chemical products were once, but are no longer, made at BIP. 

How is the CPWE Different from the Stored HCB Waste?

Remediation of the CPWE is a separate project from the HCB (hexachlorobenzene) waste stored at Botany that Orica is proposing to export for treatment overseas (view Repackaging and Destruction of Stored HCB Waste Project). Although HCBD is an HCB-related waste, it is not as toxic as HCB and is not classified as a carcinogen. The CPWE contains much lower concentrations of contamination than the stored HCB waste. The CPWE waste is essentially comprised of contaminated soil, whereas the HCB waste is made up of many different types of waste, including crystalline HCB. Therefore a different treatment method is proposed for the CPWE waste.

Who are the Adjacent Neighbours of the CPWE?

There is an athletics field across the road from the CPWE site (Hensley Athletics Field), and other industrial land users in Corish Circle and Baker Street, Banksmeadow. The closest residential neighbours are located east of Denison Street, in the suburb of Eastgarden/Hillsdale.