Environmental Audits

AES has substantial experience in the development of Environmental Management Systems (EMS) and associated subsystem components for both industry and resource sectors based on ISO 14000 requirements.  The team have gained extensive experience within corporate environments, which assists in the development of systems which meet the requirements of corporate objectives. 

Revegetation and Rehabilitation

With a significant proportion of Australia’s large projects occurring in remote areas, knowledge of appropriate revegetation techniques is essential if proponents are to comply with their proposal commitments and consequent government conditions.  Knowledge of local species, best propagation methods, fruiting and seeding times, soil types, rainfall patterns and associated data is essential for successful rehabilitation.  AES  specialises in resource project revegetation program design and execution.  

Pipeline Route Selection & Assessment

AES is one of the most experienced pipeline environmental consultants in Australia. From large projects, such as the Moomba – Adelaide gas pipeline in South Australia, to the 8 km long Wiluna Lateral installed in 1997 off the Goldfields Gas Transmission Pipeline (GGT), the company is capable of all environmental services on pipelines.

Site Closure Planning and Decommissioning

Closure planning essentially identifies and assesses the existing and potential closure liabilities for an industrial operation and then puts in place processes to address these liabilities. It is designed to be an operational process rather than just a site closure process, the objective being to have a industrial facility operating in a manner that is not creating undue closure liabilities and is reducing where practical, existing liabilities. Ideally the timing for the development of a closure planning process is at the project planning/design stage. However, the adoption of this process at any stage of a project’s life, will provide significant business advantages. 

Quantitative Risk Assessment

Astron Environmental Services (AES) has completed over 2,200 projects since its original inception in 1987 as Astron Environmental. The have included all aspects of environmental consulting, from impact assessment and biological monitoring, through to environmental education and rehabilitation.

Environmental Management Systems

AES has substantial experience in the development of Environmental Management Systems (EMS) and associated subsystem components for both industry and resource sectors based on ISO 14000 requirements.  The team have gained extensive experience within corporate environments, which assists in the development of systems which meet the requirements of corporate objectives. 

Environmental Impact Assessments

Environmental impact assessment involves the investigation of environmental and process parameters adequate to obtain a detailed assessment of the likely effects of a new development on its environment.  AES has a long history of environmental impact assessment which is enriched by its multi-disciplinary focus and extensive “hands-on” experience with operating facilities.  The company can provide a full service from initial planning, through detailed environmental investigations, to the reporting to, and liaison with, Government. 

Contaminated Land Management

Our focus on contaminated land management is one which adopts the client’s business exposure objectives and in all cases minimises the cost of associated remediation.  AES has extensive experience in contaminated site management and have a detailed knowledge of regulatory requirements, constraints and protocols throughout Australia.

Environmental Monitoring

There is an ever-increasing push by Government to ensure that commitments made by proponents with respect to rehabilitation and environmental impacts are honoured.  This involves monitoring various environmental parameters to ensure that their characteristics do not trend too far outside the envelope of values expected from the “no-project” option.  To properly design a monitoring program, the objectives must be set during the project design phase and background data obtained before disturbance occurs. Vegetation units, soil types, groundwater flows, and naturally occurring variations must be identified early on.  From the environmental impact assessment, predicted impacts are obtained and methods to determine these through monitoring are identified.  In the case of rehabilitation, completion criteria are set and the monitoring program designed to provide data on parameters that make up these criteria.  The ongoing monitoring results are compared with the undisturbed case, always taking into account “natural” variation and large scale effects such as those due to climate.  Environmental monitoring is becoming more important and program design is becoming subject to greater scrutiny.  AES uses leaders in the field to design its programs and ensure useful results: lack of experience most often produces data that is almost totally useless.