Proactive planning identifying acid sulfate soils early for treatment to meet your project needs.
Acid sulfate soils are harmless while they stay wet and undisturbed. Dig them up, drain them or stockpile them in the open and they start producing sulfuric acid. That acid leaches metals out of the soil, runs off into drains and waterways, and corrodes the concrete and steel you have just put in the ground.
AES prepares acid sulfate soil management plans for construction, civil and infrastructure projects on coastal and low-lying land. We work out whether acid sulfate soils are present, how much of them your works will disturb, and what it will take to treat, handle and monitor them so the project stays compliant and on programme.
Featured Project
Environmental & Landowner Advisor for Transmission Line Maintenance
Runcorn to Eight Mile Plains, Queensland
Applied Environment & Safety provided onsite environmental and landowner support for this tower maintenance project located within the southern suburbs of Brisbane.
This required managing project works adjacent to sensitive areas such as Bulimba Creek, major motorways and within residential backyards.
Environmental support for this project included development of Site Based Management Plans and operational checklists. Ongoing environmental monitoring and liaison with nearby residents was undertaken during the abrasive blasting and painting works. Then supervision of the clean-up of the work sites and rehabilitation for project closure.
What Is an Acid Sulfate Soil Management Plan?
An acid sulfate soil management plan, often called an ASSMP, sets out how a project will identify, excavate, treat, stockpile, reuse or dispose of acid sulfate soils without causing environmental harm. It typically covers the investigation results, volume and acidity of the material to be disturbed, treatment method and liming rates, handling and containment measures, and verification testing and monitoring that prove the treatment worked.
The plan follows a site investigation. Soil sampling and laboratory analysis to confirm whether actual or potential acid sulfate soils are present and at what depth, and that data drives the controls in the plan. A plan written without adequate investigation data is either over-engineered, which costs money, or under-engineered, which can cost even more.
Why Acid Sulfate Soil Management Matters
When acid sulfate soils are exposed to air, the iron sulfides in them oxidise and generate sulfuric acid. The resulting acidic runoff can kill fish and vegetation, mobilise heavy metals, contaminate groundwater and damage infrastructure. Because the harm is visible, traceable and often lasting, acid sulfate soil disturbance is closely regulated across Australia.
Improper management of acid sulfate soils can result in programme delays, additional costs and regulatory infringements and fines. Untreated material cannot simply be trucked off site, stockpiles that start to oxidise need emergency treatment, and an acidic discharge can stop work while it is investigated. Getting the investigation and the plan right before excavation starts is far cheaper than dealing with acid once it has formed.
Who Needs an Acid Sulfate Soil Management Plan?
An acid sulfate soil management plan is typically needed by:
- Projects on coastal, estuarine or low-lying land mapped as having potential acid sulfate soils
- Civil works involving bulk excavation, trenching, dewatering or dredging
- Linear infrastructure such as roads, rail, pipelines and transmission crossing low-lying ground
- Projects with an acid sulfate soil condition attached to their development approval
Typical Applications
- Acid sulfate soil management plans prepared to satisfy development approval conditions
- Treatment and handling plans for bulk excavation, trenching and dewatering works
- Stockpile management, neutralisation and verification testing during construction
- Water quality monitoring of drains, dewatering discharge and receiving waters
- Review and update of existing plans when the design, depth or volume of works changes
What We Include
Every AES acid sulfate soil management plan includes:
- Review of acid sulfate soil mapping, site history and your approval conditions
- Calculation of disturbance volumes and neutralising material requirements
- Treatment, handling, stockpiling, reuse and disposal procedures the site team can follow
- Containment and water management measures to stop acidic runoff leaving the site
- Verification testing and monitoring requirements, including triggers and contingency actions
- Record keeping and reporting formats that evidence compliance
Industries We Support
Applied Environment & Safety provides acid sulfate soil management planning for organisations and complex projects across a range of industries.
Power & Renewables
With vast experience within the power & renewables industry, we understand the risks and opportunities.
Mining & Resources
We provide environmental and safety consulting support to exploration and production operations within the mining and resources industry.
Transport & Civil Works
Our experience in environmental and safety management provides practical support to our clients within the transport & civil works.
Why Work With Applied Environment & Safety
We write plans around the works, not the textbook. Liming rates, stockpile locations and treatment pads have to fit the site layout and the construction sequence, so we plan them with the programme in front of us rather than as an afterthought.
We make the plan workable on the ground. The treatment and verification steps are set out clearly enough for an excavator operator and a site supervisor to follow, with the testing and records that show a regulator the job was done properly.
Our team developed ASSMPs for major transmission and substation projects across Australia, tailoring soil treatment solutions to constrained sites.
Deal With Acid Before It Forms
Request an acid sulfate soil management plan quote and we will scope the investigation and plan against your site, in line with any project-specific approvals to suit your construction programme.
Contact our team today to discuss your project requirements.
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FAQ’s
Common questions from project teams about acid sulfate soil management.
Acid sulfate soils are naturally occurring soils and sediments containing iron sulfides, usually found in coastal and low-lying areas. They are harmless while waterlogged, but when they are excavated, drained or otherwise exposed to air they oxidise and produce sulfuric acid, which can damage the environment and infrastructure.
It is usually required where a project will disturb soil or sediment on land mapped as having acid sulfate soil potential, particularly through excavation, filling or dewatering. The specific triggers are set by relevant environmental legislation or specified in planning and development approval conditions.
Actual acid sulfate soils have already oxidised and are acidic. Potential acid sulfate soils have not yet oxidised and are not currently acidic, but will generate acid if they are disturbed and exposed to air. Most construction risk sits with potential acid sulfate soils, because the acid is created by the works themselves.
The most common approach is neutralisation, where agricultural lime or a similar neutralising agent is mixed through the excavated material at a rate calculated from laboratory results. The treated soil is then verification tested before it is reused or disposed of. Other strategies include avoiding disturbance altogether or keeping the material saturated.
If the site is mapped as having acid sulfate soil potential and the works will disturb soil below the relevant trigger depth or volume, yes. An investigation before excavation confirms whether management is needed and how much, which is far cheaper than discovering acid sulfate soils mid excavation.