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5th ALGA Annual Conference

If land and groundwater is your area of expertise, don’t miss the Australasian Land and Groundwater Association’s (ALGA’s) 5th Annual Conference. With 600+ environmental industry professionals from across Australia, it’s a great opportunity to network and meet suppliers of environmental products and services as well.
 
The conference covers land and groundwater remediation areas. The conference presentations focus on risk-based and sustainable remediation, use current case studies and look at the legal and regulatory implications of past projects.
 
It will be part of the EcoForum Conference & Exhibition from Wednesday to Friday, 7–9 March at the Australian Technology Park, Sydney.
 
Cleaning up past liability—Wednesday 7 March

Some of the most complex and innovative remediation efforts ever undertaken in Australia happened in 2011. Consultants, developers and contractors have stretched themselves and explored remediation techniques beyond traditional ‘dig and haul’ methods. The state of the Australian regulatory environment and international financial markets has driven these moves into innovative territory.
 
Although the contaminants and media vary, the main theme of day 1 of ALGA’s 5th Annual Conference is the lessons learned. People have used established and emerging remediation methods and strategies, including bio-remediation, in situ chemical oxidation, gasworks remediation and landfill design and well as emerging investigation methods. There is also a stream focused on risk-based remediation and the increasing need to use sustainability principles when completing large and small remediation projects.
 
Two world-class mega-projects are showcased, including the Hunter River Sediment Remediation project and a large brownfield cleanup in the UK. They illustrate how people are applying sustainability principles to remediation projects, and highlight logistic considerations for large remediation projects.
 
Exceptional keynote speakers will share with you how their practices and experiences can help shape future projects. See all the planned presentations in the program.
 
Beyond the physical work—Thursday 8 March

The mysteries of vapour intrusion, and case studies of recently completed and ongoing projects are the focus for day 2 of the conference. For the first time, the stream includes a legal stream and an extended workshop (organised by CRC CARE about community perceptions of the remediation industry).
 
With so much focus on the logistics of projects, we can often forget the external regulatory, legal and community environment we operate in. But these interests play a key, and often vital, role in how successful a project is. As projects become more complicated and clean-up is needed within established communities, engaging early and proactively with these groups can save a lot of money and time.
 
Another key element of day 2 is groundwater, which is often the most complicated remediation to define and complete. We cover remediation of DNAPL and metals in groundwater by studying methods and lessons learned from a wide variety of projects.

ALGA’s annual dinner—Wednesday 7 March

Last year ALGA’s Annual Dinner was completely sold out—don’t miss this year’s dinner. The dinner will be at the conference venue, and is an informal affair with a serious purpose: giving you a night of networking opportunities with the regulators, lawyers, property owners, property developers, environmental managers, remediation contractors, consultants, laboratories and drillers who will be there. Talk about the new and interesting ideas raised during the day, and the issues and challenges facing the industry.

EcoForum exhibition—Wednesday 7 and Thursday 8 March

The best place to see the industry’s exciting new developments is at the EcoForum exhibition. Laboratories, contactors, consultants and suppliers will showcase investigation methods. The exhibition is on during the conference sessions and the conference’s long morning and afternoon breaks and lunches. Get an idea of who you want to talk to.
 
EcoTour—cleaning up the past at Botany—Friday 9 March

Orica’s Botany site is a great look into Orica Australia’s remediation works, including:
 
-  a groundwater treatment plant operated by Orica, treating volatile chlorinated hydrocarbons, composed of a groundwater abstraction system, stripping columns, thermal oxidizer and water treatment plant
 
-  a soil remediation facility treating hexachlorobutadiene and hexachlorobenzene, featuring enclosed excavation and feed buildings, emission controls systems, and a directly heated thermal desorption plant

Costs

Registration is $590 for one day or $1180 for two days. The ALGA Annual Dinner on Wednesday is well priced at $99, and the Botany EcoTour costs $55. Delegates can stay at the Citigate Central Hotel, Sydney, for $175. All of these prices include GST.
 
Register now

You can check out the programand register online at www.ecoforum.net.au/2012. Or fill out the registration form from the program brochure sent in the mail.