Research to Practice A case study by Dr Su Wild-River Initially - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Research to Practice

A case study by Dr Su Wild-River Initially presented as a postdoctoral research discussion paper. Updated for www.wild-river.com.au

Overview

A PhD that led to consultancy projects, an applied environmental risk assessment method, journal articles, a book plus chapters in others, trade mark, training courses, ANU awards, a 24% reduction in environmental risk at the ANU.

The PhD

Inspired by policy liaison work that raised questions of whether new environmental protection laws had delivered beneficial practical

• utcomes, or just upset people.

Consultancy project 1: Brisbane City Council environmental benchmarking study

• Find out what environmental
• utcomes have been achieved

in the first years of the Environmental Protection Act

• Quantify it
• Be on and off the site within

half an hour

• 194 sites assessed over four

weeks.

A risk assessment method

• Environmental

protection laws approximate environmental risk minimisation

• How it works
• Rating both inherent

and residual risk

• Semi-quantitative scale,

calibrated using good communication.

Inherent and Residual Environmental Risk

Residual risk: the likelihood and consequences of environmental harm occurring, taking account of risk control measures Inherent risk: the likelihood and consequences of environmental harm from the activity if there were no risk control measures in place.

Risk Management Matrix 1: minor chemical storage

Likeli- Consequences hood  1(negligible) 2(minor) 3(severe) 4(major) 5(catastrophic) A (certain) 8(M) 16 (M) 32 (H) 64 (VH) 128 (E) B(likely) 4 (L) 8(M) 16 (M) 32 (H) 64 (VH) C(moderate) 2 (N) 4 (L) 8(M) 16 (M) 32 (H) D(unlikely) 1 (N) 2 (N) 4 (L) 8(M) 16 (M) E(rare) 0 (N) 1 (N) 2 (N) 4 (L) 8(M)

B2:8 E1:0

Consultancy project 2: Queensland statewide environmental benchmarking study

Figure 6: Risk Reduction by ERA

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 4 1 , m e t a l w r k s 5 2 , t a n n e r y 1 2 ,

• i

l r e f / p r

• 3

6 , s u g m i l l 3 8 , l a n d d e v 6 , c h e m m f t 7 , r a i l f a c 7 , c h e m s t

• r

7 8 , c h e m /

• i

l r e c 6 5 , s a w m i l l 3 2 , m e a t p r

• c

8 5 , r e g w s t t r t 7 6 , r e g w s t d s p 7 4 , g e n w s t d s p 1 9 , e x t r

• c

k 5 7 , a s p h a l t 1 1 , p e t r

• l

s t r g 4 , p

• u

l t r y f a r m 1 4 , S T P 2 2 , a b s v b l s t a u t

• r

e c 3 , p i g f a r m 8 3 , w s t t f r 6 , c

• n

c b t c h 1 5 , W T P s p r a y p n t 2 8 , m t r v c l w k s h p 2 4 , m e t a l c

• a

t 2 3 , b l r m a k i n g

ERA

Log (Mean Risk)

Potential 95 98

A generic environmental risk assessment method

Addressing common dilemmas:

• ngoing inspections

Which activities need regular inspections? Which statutory authority should be responsible?

Best-practice. What defines it and how is it retained?

Addressing common dilemmas: compliance

• Compliance. What is

adequate and how do you target hazards for improvement? Non-compliance. When does an activity need to make improvements and what would they be?

• Originated through PARSA

representation on EMPC

Consultancy project 3: ANU environmental risk assessment

A pollution prevention method

• Assessing compliance
• Identifying priorities
• Tracking changes

Total environmental risk, ANU

200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 1600 1800 2000

1998 1999 2001 2002 2003 2004

Total CERAM score Inherent Residual

Soil

CERAM scroe

Noise

CERAM score

An 8% reduction in environmental risk - ANU

Training technical officers

Stormwater drains take rain straight to the creek Two types of drains leave every building at the ANU Many wastes can go to sewage, but

• nly rain to

the stormwater drains Sewage drains take waste for treatment

Improving compliance

Training course

• Certified assessors now at ANU,

BCC, CSIRO, Queensland Government, Uni of Sydney, Queensland University of Technology

ANU Awards

• ANU environmental award
• Dean of Students Award
• University medal with

Trademarks – environmental risk assessment and risk management

Contract for a book – guide to environmental risk management

• Connections through earlier

publications to major publishing company

• Opportunity to incorporate

some earlier research findings that have not yet been widely published.

Investment ($) Environmental risk reduction (CERAM units)

50 100 150 200 250 300 500,000 400,000 300,000 200,000 100,000 Primary production Refinement Waste management Servicing Manufacture

Key lessons

• Great opportunities from engaging in real world problems
• data sets – original and sensitive
• funding opportunities – beyond the normal competitive programs
• Ask, listen and think
• what do the practitioners need?
• how will your academic integrity be protected?
• Support from The ANU - available and valuable
• legal
• financial
• professional
• Your work can make a difference to the environment
• and that’s a very rewarding experience
• Fear of faking it
• affects many early career academics
• Nothing obvious or easy, and never enough time. Not a path for the faint hearted