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ADAADECEMBER201409NSWENVIRONMENTALPROTECTIONAGENCYNewWasteRegulationsandImpactsonCoalCombustionProductsAsofthe17thOctober2014theProtectionoftheEnvironmentOperationsWasteRegulation2014PoEOWRwaspublishedcomingintoeffectretrospectivelyonthe1stNovember2014.ThisnewRegulationfocusesonarangeofmeasurestostrengthenenvironmentalcontrolsensurealevelplayingeldforindustryandbreaksthebusinessmodelofrogueoperatorsinNSW.HoweverthisfocusalsorequiredchangestotheexistingCoalAshExemptionforcoalcombustionproductsCCPsusedinNSW.OnthereleaseofthePoEOWRtheAssociationhasbeeninvolvedinconsultationreviewandcommentonthere-draftoftheresourcerecoveryexemptionwhichwillreplacetheexistingframework.Duetorestrictivedeadlinesconsultationtimewaslimited.Underthere-draftoftheexemptionitwillnowbesplitintotwoseparatedocumentsaCoalAshOrderandaCoalAshExemption.TheOrderestablishestheconditionsforsupplybythegeneratororprocessorofCCPswhilsttheExemptionisheldbytheuserconsumerwhobuysandusesCCPs.FromtheAssociationspoint-of-viewweareoftheunderstandingthatthesedocumentsworkinthesamemannerwiththeintentbeingthattheyhavebeenseparatedoutoflegalnecessitytoalignwiththerecentlygazettedPoEOWRterminology.OveralltheADAAissatisedthatthereviseddocumentsreectthekeyelementsofthepreviousExemptionwhilstcomplyingwiththeEPAlegaldraftingrequirements.TheEPAhasissuedtwoseparatedocumentsaResourceRecoveryOrderandaResourceRecoveryExemptiontoreplacethecurrentgeneralexemptionhttpwww.epa.nsw.gov.auAssociationmemberLatrobeMagnesiumiscurrentlyintheprocessofdevelopingamagnesiumplantsituatedinVictoriasLatrobeValleyusingitsworld-rstpatentedextractionprocess.WithproductionexpectedtobegininJune2016andAustraliacurrentlyimporting100ofthe10000tonnesofmagnesiumannuallyconsumedLatrobeplansonsellingtheinitialproducttoAustralianandAmericancontracts.MagnesiumispopularinAustralianindustriesgivenitsstrength-to-weightratioincomparisontoothercommonstructuralmetalswhereitisusedinthemanufactureofcarpartslaptopcomputersmobilephonesandpowertools.ItsapplicabilitytocoalcombustionproductsCCPscomesfromLatrobesextractionprocesswhichseekstousethemagnesiumcontainedinyashfrombrowncoalgenerationwhichcurrentlyremainsunder-utilised.Onthisbasisearlierthisyeara600kilogramsampleoftreatedyashwassenttoChinaforprocessingthroughacommerciallyoperatingmagnesiumplant.ThisprocesswasfacilitatedinconjunctionwithAssociationmembersEngineeringMaterialSolutionsEMS.ThemagnesiumandresultingcementitiousmaterialproducedfromthissamplewillthenbesentbacktoAustraliaforfurthercement-relatedtestingbyEMStodeterminetheexactpropertiesofthematerial.ThisnewapplicationforCCPsdemonstratesthepotentialopportunitiesavailableforfurtherinnovationintheindustry.Formoreregularinformationpleasevisithttpwww.latrobemagnesium.comdefault.aspid87LatrobeMagnesiumUPDATE