/ Guidance Material

Stage 1 Desktop Investigation Report – Table of Contents (minimum content requirement)

This guidance material should is for consultants preparing stage 1 reports to inform the layout of stage 1 desktop investigations and the minimum contents required (including but not limited to).

Executive Summary

The executive summary is a critical component of the report and is mainly for presentation of high level information for management (i.e. Director level within Defence) so that an appreciation of the issues can be gleaned without reliance on technical information.

No more than 2-3 pages.

The key issues should be summarised. These will be limited generally to no more than five key issues and may include an important conclusion (i.e. the Stage 1 report has identified five high risk areas which may affect Defence capability by diverting staff to potential environmental issues in time of strategic exercises to prepare Defence for overseas conflict).

The scope of work should be very brief and high level (i.e. no more than two paragraphs).

Summary of conclusions and recommendations.

Conclusions (one to two paragraphs) should only mention significant exceedances and those which are judged to be still at a high risk to Defence.

Recommendations need to be clear action items andidentify responsibilities. They should include indicative cost estimates and timeframes for completion.

  1. Introduction

Background

Objectives

Data Quality Objectives – this should be brief and greater detail sit in appendix

Scope of works

Methodology – this should be brief and greater detail sit in appendix

Regulatory/Policy Framework (this would cover Def policy/programs and relevant regulatory framework starting with Commonwealth first and then state)

Sources of information

  1. Background Data

Site description

Surrounding land use

Topography

Geology and Soils

Hydrology

Hydrogeology

Climate

  1. Historical Activities

Historical information – chronological list of site uses

Previous owners/land users

Defence lease/Ownership details of whole site

Lease arrangements over site

Inventory of chemicals and wastes associated with site use and onsite storage locations

Review of aerial photography

Site condition and surrounding environment

Geology and Hydrogeology

Site inspection and interviews

Site layout plans, including services

Previous investigations

Other relevant reports

  1. Contaminated Site Register (CSR) listing
  1. Conceptual Model
  1. Risk Assessment

Assessment

Summary table

  1. Conclusions
  1. Recommendations

Proposed SAQP

Discussion on Use and Potential Benefit of Geophysics and Justification for its Use

DQOs for Stage 2

Proposed regulatory guidelines and criteria

Cost estimate

  1. References

Limitations

Figures

Photographs – of each site (4 photos of each site, one taken N,S,E W direction with scale, GPS and CSR number on each

Conceptual Site Model for any known and/or potential contamination

Appendices

Close Out Report

CRAT version used

Greater detail on approach (DQOs, methodology etc)

References for Report Content:

NSW EPA, 2000, Contaminated Sites, Guidelines for Consultants Reporting on Contaminated Sites.

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Document Control: / Version 2.0
Issued: / 21 May 2012