EPA has developed guidance materials to help licence holders interpret conditions, develop an adequate monitoring plan and report to EPA.
Annual performance statement (APS) guidelines (publication 1320) is the mechanism by which licence holders report on their annual environmental performance. It lists performance against each licence condition and must be signed off by the company’s most senior Australian-based executive. Significant penalties exist for providing false or misleading information in an APS, or concealing relevant information as specified in the Environment Protection Act 1970.
Licence management guidelines (publication 1322) have been developed to help licence holders understand the content of their licence, what needs to be done to comply and how EPA expects them to perform and respond to non-compliance incidents. While any non-compliance incident must be reported immediately to EPA, they must also be explained and addressed in an APS.
Licence assessment guidelines (publication 1321) have been developed to help licence holders take a risk-based approach to the development of their monitoring program, as well as interpreting and using data. Monitoring programs must be developed by each licence holder to ensure they (and EPA) can determine licence compliance. Documents pertaining to the monitoring program are auditable and must be retained on the licensed premises.
Landfill licensing guidelines (publication 1323) have been developed to assist landfill operators and environmental auditors, to understand licensing requirements specific to landfills. The guidelines also provide information on ongoing environmental management of landfills and gaining EPA approval for construction of new cells at existing landfills.