Overview
Jennings is a town in the Northern Tablelands region of New South Wales, Australia.
The former Jennings Arsenic Processing Plant was historically used to produce Prickly Pear poison, developing arsenic trioxide powder from 1923 to 1931.
The site had rehabilitation works in the 1950s and 2000s. Works in the 1950s involved the burial of arsenic impacted soil and drums used in the packaging process. In 2009, works involved rehabilitation to the surface of the site with the addition of topsoil and the creation of surface water control structures.
The NSW Environment Protection Authority regulated the site in 2018. As a result, further investigation and remediation was undertaken between 2018 and 2024.
The NSW Government committed $3.4 million for these works.
Remediation
Key details of the remediation:
- Contaminated soil – Approximately 1,650 tonnes of contaminated soil were excavated and sealed in a containment cell.
- Site cap – The site was capped with a geosynthetic clay liner, clean soil, compost, and overlaid with hessian, covering an area larger than a football field.
- Revegetation – A seed mixture of 10 native grasses was planted to restore the site to a natural state.
- Erosion protection – Implemented measures to safeguard against future erosion and sediment runoff.
- Ongoing monitoring – The area is fenced off. The site will be monitored to assess its suitability for public access.
Ongoing management
It has been over 12 months since the remediation works were completed. We’re monitoring the site to ensure the works have been successful in containing the contamination. The first site-specific annual report has been drafted and is with the site auditor for review before being lodged with the NSW Environment Protection Authority.
We’re also finalising the stage 3 Voluntary Management Proposal and transitioning into an Ongoing Maintenance Order (OMO). The site will be released from the NSW Environment Protection Authority declaration order and managed under the OMO for the next couple of years to ensure the cell continues to be sound before fence removal is considered.
Resources
- Notice of approval of Voluntary Management Proposal – N20181702 – July 2018 (PDF, 1,191 KB)
- Voluntary Management Proposal under the Contaminated Land Management Act 1997 – Part 1 – Preliminary details (PDF, 496 KB)
- EPA – Notice of Approved Voluntary Management proposal – N20211707 – June 2021 (PDF, 699 KB)
- EPA – Notice to cease approval of Voluntary Management Proposal – N201917-7-06 – December 2019 (PDF, 115 KB)
- EPA – Notice to cease approval of Voluntary Management Proposal – N202117-7-06 – June 2021 (PDF, 272 KB)