Streamlining ‘environment in design’ decision-making – from concept to operations in major development projects
Janine M. BarrowJacobs Australia, 263 Adelaide Terrace, Perth, WA 6000, Australia. Email: janine.barrow@jacobs.com
The APPEA Journal 58(2) 679-682 https://doi.org/10.1071/AJ17088
Accepted: 27 February 2018 Published: 28 May 2018
Abstract
As the engineering design process for a major development project advances from concept through to ready for start up, many key decisions are made and controls formulated that ultimately influence environmental, social (and safety) outcomes. These decisions are often made based on sound technical grounds with key decision logs, hazard identification or hazard and operability studies or similar used to record the process, but with limited recognition of environmental outcomes. Many of the onshore and offshore regulations in Australia (most notably, the Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas (Environment) Regulations 2009) require environmental risks and impacts to be reduced to a level that is as low as reasonably practicable (ALARP). Additionally, justifiable assessment of controls and decisions are presented in the environment plans (EP) that are typically prepared later on in the design process. Challenges can often arise when geographically disparate design contractors lack ALARP assessment processes to evaluate decisions and controls from an environmental perspective and record outcomes for future use in regulatory documentation. This can be particularly pronounced for operations EPs.
Janine shares her practical experience in environmental integration in engineering design to showcase methods that tangibly demonstrate robust decision-making, inclusive of delivering environmental outcomes, to regulators.
Keywords: ALARP, environmental engineering, environment plans, environment regulations, major project planning, NOPSEMA, offshore, regulations, risk assessment.
Janine Barrow is a Technical Director at Jacobs, focussed on delivering sustainable outcomes on major infrastructure projects. Her areas of expertise include: environmental social and health impact assessments, environmental impact assessment and environment plans, infrastructure sustainability, oil spill emergency plans, environment in design and stakeholder engagement. Janine has a Bachelor of Science in biology and a Master of Science in environmental management practice and is an Infrastructure Sustainability Accredited Professional and member of the Institute of Environmental Management and Impact Assessment. Janine regularly provides strategic advice in environmental projects in the resources sector and has been the technical reviewer or author of over 24 accepted environment plans since 2013. She regularly provides support to Woodside, Shell, INPEX and ConocoPhillips and is involved as part of engineering design teams. Most recently, Janine has been involved in strategic advice in engineering design for APA/Cooper Energy, ConocoPhillips and various Woodside growth projects. |
References
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