Appendix 4 - Noise & Odour Assessment

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Eenie Creek

CTV MET AMater(s

Image © 2016 DigitalGiobe

 

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3           Plant description

3.1         Operational overview
The activities and processes to be implemented on-site involve the brewing of the beer, followed by
fermenting, filtering and packaging. Finished goods are stored on-site for distribution. Brewing is primarily
a natural process in which a mash of malted barley is boiled, fermented with yeast and filtered. The final
beer is packaged into bottles or kegs for distribution.
Typical discharges from the process include:

1. wastewater from the various operations including cleaning and sanitising
2. spent brewing raw materials in the form of processed grain, waste yeast and trub (spent hops and
   proteins from the boiling process)
3. carbon dioxide resulting from the fermentation process
4. vapours from the brewing kettle
5. dust from the malt conveying processes
6. waste packaging associated with raw materials
7. other recyclable materials


3.2         Process overview
The key steps in the brewing and packaging processes are:

Malt Handling and Milling
Bulk malt is delivered by road transport and is unloaded into the grain storage.
Minor malt varieties are received in bulk bags and transferred to hoppers. In preparation for each brew,
malt is milled in the enclosed mill room.

Mashing and Lautering
Hot water recovered from the wort cooling heat exchange is added to the milled malt and further heated.
At the end of this process, the clear ‘wort’ is separated from the spent grain and transferred to the brew
kettle.

Wort Boiling and Cooling
Wort is boiled in the brew kettle by steam heating and hops are added. The waste heat contained in the
hot vapour released from this vessel is recovered to preheat subsequent brews during their transfer to
the brew kettle. At the end of the boiling process the wort is cooled through a heat exchanger in which
the counter-flow is chilled’ ice water’ which itself becomes heated and is used as the mashing water for
the next brew.
Odour from the brew kettle will be generated during wort and hop boiling along with small quantities of
steam. The brewery will install a mechanical vapour condenser directly on the brew kettle that will draw
any odours from the brewing process into a condenser where the soluble fractions will be transferred to a
liquid waste and will enter the water treatment system while capturing waste heat for reuse. Details on
the vapour condenser as provided by the applicant have been included as an attachment to this

4130136/41-30136-LET_Raftsea                                                                                 3

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correspondence. As all odorous vapours are condensed back into a liquid, the likelihood of odour being
discharged as a result of this process is remote.

Yeast Dosing, Fermentation and Yeast Harvesting
Yeast is added to the cooled wort to start the fermentation cycle in the fermenters. During this process
the wort is converted into “green beer”, the yeast multiplies and carbon dioxide and alcohol is produced
as a by-product. At the end of the fermentation cycle, yeast is drawn off for subsequent brews and the
excess is collected for use as animal feed. The spent yeast and trub is added to the spent grain while hot
(+60oC). During this process, the yeast dies (as it is unable to survive temperatures greater than 50oC)
and the waste material is packaged for distribution to the agricultural sector. Carbon dioxide will be
monitored for safety of personnel and will be vented to the outside when necessary.

Maturation and Filtration
Green beer is allowed to mature in the tank before being filtered through a diatomaceous earth filter. On
completion of filtration, the spent diatomaceous earth is collected for disposal.

Beer Storage
Filtered beer is stored in tanks prior to packaging into bottles or kegs.

Packaging
Beer is packaged into 50 litre kegs or cartons of glass bottles on designated automated production lines.

Warehousing
Stocks of bottled beer cartons and kegs are stored on pallets in the rear of the facility awaiting road
transport to a distribution contractor.
Spent grain will be removed offsite on a daily basis removing all odours with the aim of no detectable
odours being detectible offsite. No spent grain will be stored for longer than 24 hours. The regular
removal of spent grain will prevent odours being generated during late night/early morning periods when
the potential for odour impacts are highest.


3.3         Plant capacity
The proposed plant operations will be 24 hours a day producing up to 10 million litres per annum.


4           Basis of assessment
As part of the material change of use application, Council is required to consider a number of planning
instruments in making a decision about the application. Of note is the State Planning Policy which forms
one of the higher order documents use to provide direction on the type of land use and associated
impacts anticipated for development with Queensland.

The Queensland State Planning Policy includes specific provisions in relation to emissions (air, noise,
etc) and hazardous activities to provide strategic direction about:

     where industrial land uses should be located to protect communities and individuals from the impacts
      of air, noise and odour emissions, and the impacts from hazardous materials



4130136/41-30136-LET_Raftsea                                                                                4

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    how land for industrial land uses will be protected from unreasonable encroachment by incompatible
     land uses.
The interim development assessment requirements set out requirements that apply to material change of
use development applications and required that development:

(1) is designed to avoid or otherwise minimise adverse impacts from emissions that will affect the health
     and safety, wellbeing and amenity of communities and individuals, and
(2) supports the achievement of the relevant acoustic and air quality objectives of the:
(a) Environmental Protection (Noise) Policy 2008 and Environmental Protection (Air) Policy 2008
    (Appendix 6), and
(3) does not compromise the viability of existing or future industrial development, including industrial land
     within a state development area, or an enterprise opportunity area or employment opportunity area
     identified in a regional plan.


5           Odour assessment
Under the Environmental Protection Act 1994, proposals are assessed to ensure they will not adversely
affect environmental values including air quality, public amenity and safety. This means ensuring the
proposal is not likely to cause environmental nuisance or environmental harm. The definition of
environmental harm under the Environmental Protection Act 1994 includes environmental nuisance. The
Department of Environment and Heritage Protection Guideline “Odour Impact Assessment from
Developments” identifies odour impacts as a frequent and significant cause of environmental nuisance
and provides various approaches to assess potential impacts from new developments.

The preferred approach to managing odour issues is the minimisation of odour generation through the
inclusion of appropriate technologies/management practices in site operations. While the site is located
in an industrial area with the nearest residential receptor over 150 metres away, significant technology
has been included in the design to mitigate the generation of odour (refer Section 3.2 above). The
generation of steam through the brewing process is likely to contribute the highest risk of odour impact.
This process has been designed such that odour generation will be managed in its entirety by containing
and condensing all steam and directing this into the process chain.

In addition, work practices will prevent the build-up of spent grain which may also contribute to odour
generation. The beneficial reuse of this waste product for commercial gain will promote the regular
transport of this product from site, thereby further reducing the risk associated with odour impacts on
sensitive receivers in proximity to the proposed brewery.
In summary, given the processes in place to mitigate odour emissions and the size of the proposed plant,
the likely odour impact to the nearest residential receptors will be minimal and acceptable. The proposal
would be appropriate from an odour perspective.




4130136/41-30136-LET_Raftsea                                                                                5

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6           Noise Assessment

6.1         Acoustic objectives
Acoustic quality objectives for developments are listed in the Environmental Protection (Noise) Policy
2008. The objectives are to be achieved at sensitive receivers for the relevant day, evening and night
time periods. The relevant acoustic objectives for the proposal are shown in Table 1.

Table 1          Acoustic quality objectives

    Sensitive           Time of day     Acoustic quality objectives dB(A)
    receptor
                                        LAeq 1 hour       LA10 1 hour        LA1 1 hour

    Dwelling            Daytime and     50                55                 65
    (outdoors)          evening

    Dwelling            Daytime and     35                40                 45
    (indoors)           evening

                        Night-time      30                35                 40

    Commercial          When open for   45
    and retail          business
    activity
    (indoors)


6.2         Sources of noise
The proposal is located within an existing industrial area with a major commercial area (Noosa Civic)
located just to the northeast of the site. Noise generating activities that may be undertaken at the
proposed brewery would include:

     Deliveries to and from the site
     Generator
     Boiler
     Bottling and packaging
Most of these noise sources occur within the building and would not present a significant noise source
external to the site.

There are no significant external operational noise sources other than trucks and forklifts which are used
intermittently. Deliveries would not be expected to occur during night time hours and would be similar in
terms of sound power levels, tonality and other characteristics to existing trucks accessing the industrial
area.

The approximate noise from a delivery truck has been calculated at the nearest receiver (Noosa Civic).
Based on a truck with a sound power level of 108 dB(A) and a distance of 160 m, and a truck assumed
to be running or idling for a period of 10 minutes in every hour, the predicted noise level (LAeq 1 hour) is 48
dB(A) at the rear loading bays and tilt panel walls of the shopping centre. This is a conservative
calculation and does not take into consideration ground absorption or shielding from buildings or other

4130136/41-30136-LET_Raftsea                                                                                  6

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objects. This predicted level would be most evident at the loading dock area of Noosa Civic. The indoor
level would readily be below the criteria of 45 dB(A), with sound reductions of 20 dB(A) expected
between the outside and inside of the Noosa Civic building structure.
The same calculation has been applied to the approved residential development to the east of the site on
Hoffmann Drive, also approximately 160 m away. The calculation is conservative as it doesn’t take into
account ground absorption or shielding. The predicted noise level (LAeq 1 hour) of a truck operating for 10
minutes in every hour at residences on Hoffmann Drive is 48 dB(A), which is below the criteria of 50
dB(A).

Other residential receivers exist 500 m to the west of the site on Gumdale Ct and Casuarina Ct. Noise
predictions at these receivers are highly conservative as many industrial buildings exist between the site
and the houses on Gumdale Ct and Casuarina Ct which would shield the noise. The predicted level (LAeq
1 hour) of truck noise during the day and evening time periods at houses on Gumdale Ct and Casuarina Ct

is 38 dB(A), which is below the criteria of 50 dB(A). This is likely to be masked by the ongoing ambient
noise associated with traffic on the Emu Mountain Road and Eumundi Road.


6.3         Risk of noise impact
Due to the separation distances between the proposal site and the nearest residential receivers (160 m -
500 m) and commercial receivers (160 m) the risk associated with noise impacts is very low. There are
other buildings between the site and residential receivers which will shield noise generated as part of
operations. There is a line of sight between the facility and the back of Noosa Civic, which supports the
loading docks for the shopping centre. Trucks in use at Noosa Civic would be similar or larger than those
used at the brewery, and of much higher throughput. Noise predictions in Section 6.2 show that the
expected noise levels from the site comply with the relevant criteria. This area is likely to also be
exposed to higher ambient noise associated with vehicle movements on Emu Mountain Road.

Noise levels at all sensitive receivers generated by the proposed development are expected to be below
the acoustic objectives outlined in the Environmental Protection (Noise) Policy 2008.


6.4         Noise assessment findings
Noise from the proposal is not considered to be an issue based on the proposal design and distance to
receivers for 24-hour operation. The use of masonry walls and the orientation of the building is
considered appropriate from an acoustic perspective with respect to the level of impact anticipated on
surrounding sensitive receivers.


7           Conclusion
A desktop odour and noise assessment has been undertaken for the proposed brewery at 85 Rene
Street. The assessment shows that odour and noise impacts will be negligible at all identified sensitive
receivers on the basis of the inclusion of specific design measures for managing odour emission from the
brewing process, and the setback of the facility from nearby noise sensitive premises.




4130136/41-30136-LET_Raftsea                                                                              7

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The project is considered suitable to operate 24 hours per day from both odour and noise perspectives.

Sincerely
GHD Pty Ltd




Daniel Willis
Principal Planner / Environmental Scientist
+61 7 5413 8138




4130136/41-30136-LET_Raftsea                                                                             8

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FIG 1

 

 

-This is the internal component of the Vapour Condenser
-All the steam and odours caused in the boiling process flow through the inside of all the small tubes
- This whole component sits inside a shell (as can be seen in Fig 2)
-The ring spaces that can be seen around the tubes direct the correct flow of cold water around and over
tubes containing the steam and odour vapours. This is what causes the heated vapours to condense bac!

into a liquid and contain all the odours.

-The directed flow of the cold water also allows for the added benifit of being able to capture this cold wz
as heated water after the process is complete, for re use in the brewing process

 

FIG 2

 

 

-Fig 2 shows how the internal component ( all the small holes/tubes in the center ) is housed within the
external shell

-The pipe on the top left of the Vapour Condenser is the cold water inlet

~Please see Fig 3 to see how the Vapour Condenser fits to the Brew Kettle

 

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FIG 3
i

-This is the Vapour Condenser attached to
the Brew Kettle

 

-All vapours are are drawn into the
condenser by a natural convection crested
when the vapours condense inside the
condenser itself

-The automatic valves seen on the bottom of
the condenser, control the flow of cold water

and waste condensation

SUMMARY

  

-The Vapour Condenser is highly efficient at
mitigating odours created by the wort
boiling process

-Has the added benifit of capturing waste
heat forreuse

-Is of a very simple mechanical design that is
not prone to failure

IN VAPOUR CONDENSER

| brew Kerrie