Truegain site remediation

The NSW Government has stepped in to resolve the long-term environmental issues at the former Truegain waste oil processing site at Rutherford. The government compulsorily acquired the land from its bankrupted former owner, who failed to clean up the site.

Our Environmental Management Group is managing the clean-up of the site as it has expertise in remediating contaminated land.

The Environmental Management Group aims to ensure the soil and groundwater surrounding the site is clean and doesn’t pose any community or environmental risks.

We have completed the first stage of remediation works, which involved removing all above-ground infrastructure and disposing of waste that had been stored on site.

We have treated and removed more than 11,000 tonnes of industrial wastewater, toxic oil, grease and sludge waste, as well as 135 steel containment tanks, from the site as part of the stage-one works.

The Environmental Management Group and the NSW Environment Protection Authority will continue to work together throughout the clean-up and remediation of the site. We will return it to a safe condition fit for continued industrial use.

Background

Truegain operated a waste oil processing facility at the site from the late 1990s. In 2016, Hunter Water Corporation suspended Truegain’s trade waste permit and Truegain went into liquidation.

The site was abandoned. Many tanks and storage containers were left on site that contained large volumes of waste oil or processing by-products. Some included low concentrations of per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

The NSW Environment Protection Authority issued several penalty and clean-up notices for the site and brought debt recovery proceedings against the former owner to recover the costs of cleaning up the site. In December 2021, the former owner was ordered to pay $1.2 million towards the NSW Environment Protection Authority’s costs.

When Truegain’s owner did not comply with these notices, our Environmental Management Group was appointed to manage stormwater and remediate the site to prevent pollution.

The government will not remediate privately-owned land to benefit the polluter, so remediation work could not start until the government had acquired the site.

This was delayed because the site owners and stakeholders asked for compensation, which was more than the financial value of the property.

The government compulsorily acquired the site and remediation works are now well underway.

Pollution impacts

The above-ground tanks, which have now been removed from the site, contained waste oil and wastewater, contaminated with mixtures of hydrocarbons and per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

PFAS are manufactured chemicals widely used in industrial and consumer products, which take a long time to break down in humans and the environment.

Investigations into PFAS within the Rutherford Industrial Estate found the chemicals in varying levels across the estate, but this was expected. Historically, a variety of industrial operations have used PFAS.

The NSW Environment Protection Authority comprehensively tested for PFAS in the estate, and in nearby creeks, after a containment system at the former Truegain premises overflowed into nearby Stony Creek in 2018. 

For the results of this testing and more information, visit Rutherford Industrial Estate.

Neighbours and the environment

Protecting the community and the environment is the NSW Government’s highest priority.

PFAS on the Truegain site is a result of low concentrations present in waste oils and solvents. These wastes were held in tanks on site and, where spills happened, they were in sealed or contained areas.

The NSW Environment Protection Authority had previously hired a contractor to remove contaminated water from the site as needed to prevent pollutants from entering the environment.

Throughout the remediation process, we will continue to monitor, mitigate and manage the Truegain site, especially during rain events. We will ensure the highest protections for the environment and the local community are maintained.

Site management

Our Environmental Management Group is leading and managing the clean-up of the property. It has expertise in remediating contaminated land.

The NSW Environment Protection Authority stepped in temporarily after the site was abandoned by its previous owner. The authority managed and stopped stormwater and pollution from escaping into the local waterways.

Now that the property has been transferred to the NSW Government, the NSW Environment Protection Authority will continue to provide regulatory oversight. It will ensure remediation works meet the required standard and no more pollution happens.

Future of the site

The Rutherford Industrial Estate is at the centre of industry in Maitland. We will remediate the site to make it and the surrounding environment safe. Doing this will also create jobs and stimulate the local economy.

The site’s prime location has access to major transport and freight corridors, and there are opportunities to build on the industries already set up such as fabrication, distribution, and bulky goods.

Community updates

We have removed the waste from the site, and remediated and demolished the tanks and buildings.

We are now preparing a remedial action plan for the site.

Our civil works contractor is currently investigating the underground site conditions, including soil and groundwater contamination.

We will continue to keep the community informed throughout the next stage of works.

Next steps

We are preparing an action plan to remediate soil contamination at the site. Once we have done this, the remediation works at the site will begin. Once we complete the work, we will return the site for industrial use.