Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2013C00288:reg:2:p14
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2013C00288
Segment Type: reg
Provision Reference: reg 2 (pt 14/21)
Character Range: 77540–80747

pathway is present that could connect a vapour source to a building interior                                                                                                                   Site-specific assessment

Hydrocarbon odour present in buildings or in-ground services (not attributable to an indoor or ambient source) which indicates an active preferential migration pathway and potentially an immediate human health risk  Consider indoor air sampling or immediate action in the case of strong hydrocarbon odours

2.5              Ecological investigation levels

    2.5.1          Introduction
Ecological investigation levels (EILs) for the protection of terrestrial ecosystems have been derived for common contaminants in soil based on a species sensitivity distribution (SSD) model developed for Australian conditions. EILs have been derived for As, Cu, CrIII, DDT, naphthalene, Ni, Pb and Zn.

Schedule B5a provides detailed guidance on the framework for ecological risk assessment. The methodology for deriving EILs is described in Schedule B5b and the detailed derivations of EILs for As, Cu, CrIII, DDT, naphthalene, Ni, Pb and Zn are presented in Schedule B5c. A spreadsheet, which may be used for calculating site-specific EILs is included in the ASC NEPM Toolbox.

    2.5.2          EIL methodology
The detailed methodology, incorporated in Schedule B5b, was developed by CSIRO using data from various Australasian databases, the Australian National Biosolids Research Program and supplemented by data from the US EPA ecotoxicology database where necessary. The methodology is based on an SSD approach, which considers the physicochemical properties of soil and contaminants and the capacity of the local ecosystem to accommodate increases in contaminant levels (referred to as the 'added contaminant limit' or ACL) above ambient background.  Where insufficient data is available for the SSD method to be used, a more conservative method using an assessment factor approach may be adopted.

The EILs are derived for specified levels of percentage species protection depending on land use. The approach is analogous to the methodology used for derivation of the Australian water quality guidelines (ANZECC & ARMCANZ 2000).

    2.5.3          Land use
EILs have been developed for three generic land use settings:
    * areas of ecological significance
    * urban residential areas and public open space
    * commercial and industrial land uses.
An area of ecological significance is one where the planning provisions or land use designation is for the primary intention of conserving and protecting the natural environment. This would include national parks, state parks, wilderness areas and designated conservation areas.

Urban residential/public open space is broadly equivalent to the HIL A, HIL B and HIL C land use scenarios (see Section 2.2 and Schedule B7).

EILs are not applicable to agricultural soils, which need evaluation in relation to crop toxicity, plant contaminant uptake and detailed consideration of soil type.

    2.5.4          Levels of protection
The protection levels for the generic land use settings are:
    * 99% for areas of ecological significance