Demonstration programs

The National Contaminated Sites Demonstration Program provides an opportunity to demonstrate integrated multidisciplinary solutions to complex land, groundwater and air contamination problems and issues across Australia.

It also lets scientists and consultants test and validate new and upcoming site assessment and remediation technologies.

Demonstration projects within the program have been co-sponsored by the Department and Defence, the Australian Institute of Petroleum and BHP.

In 2013 crcCARE launched its Waste Program, focusing on the sustainable management of organic waste.

Our demonstration projects address issues that constrain assessment and remediation of potentially contaminated sites, including:

  • Monitored natural attenuation as a risk-based strategy for managing contaminated sites
  • Source characterisation, remediation and health investigation levels for sites contaminated by chlorinated hydrocarbons
  • Impracticability end points for LNAPL remediation
  • Aqueous film-forming foams – long-term impacts at fire drill training areas
  • Approaches and technologies for converting waste to energy.

crcCARE’s demonstration programs are:

Department of Defence Program

crcCARE’s Department of Defence demonstration program focuses on laboratory and field-based investigation of potentially contaminated sites, and the validation of innovative technologies developed for their assessment and remediation. The program uses interdisciplinary methodologies to arrive at solutions for the complex environmental problems affecting a range of sites across Australia.  

Petroleum Program

The Australian Institute of Petroleum (AIP) has sponsored the petroleum program.

The AIP Program has addressed issues facing the oil industry, which has been constrained by limited information and policies on petroleum hydrocarbons. Recognising this constraint, crcCARE’s team of experts develops nationally harmonised policies and guidance on assessment and remediation of petroleum hydrocarbon contaminated sites in Australia.

BHP Demonstration Program

With BHP, crcCARE is identifying and managing environmental risks in line with BHP’s corporate objective of delivering long-term value to shareholders. Through focused research, crcCARE is delivering commercially viable remediation solutions which will enable BHP to both manage and minimise its risks while maximising the value of its assets and encouraging enterprise and innovation.

Waste Program

crcCARE’s Waste Program focuses on the sustainable management of organic waste.

The program offers Biomethane Potential Testing (laboratory-based assessment of the potential for a waste product to generate bioenergy), together with feasibility studies for harvesting clean energy. This clean-energy initiative delivers both economic returns to the end user and environmental benefits to the wider community.

Water Program

The newly formed water demonstration program will focus on the challenges presented by per and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination in biosolids and treated effluent. The program will investigate the presence of PFAS, and technologies for their remediation and conversion to products, that enables the use of biosolids as a source of nutrients. The program will also develop guidance linked to risk-based management of biosolids.

The Water Demonstration Program will bring together State and Territory Utilities to jointly develop solutions for member organisations to address PFAS contamination in biosolids and treated effluent.