Below the Surface

• #36 The Client - TMA

  What it's really like to be regulated?Regulators, take note - this one’s for you.We are shining the light on the third corner of the Regulator – Consultant – Client relationship: the Client. What’s it really like to be on the receiving end of regulation? Do operators of licensed facilities feel supported … or just scrutinised? Are those hefty licence fees worth it? And is there a fair playing field between the licensed and the “let’s-pretend-we-don’t-need-a-licence” crowd? Of course, it’s not all about the regulators, consultants, you’ll want to listen too.What do clients actually expect from us? What builds trust, and what breaks it?To kick off this new series, Gunnar and James sit down with Anthony Alpen, Founder and CEO of Tank Management Australia (TMA). As the head of an IBC (Intermediate Bulk Container) reconditioning company, working under a strict EPL, Anthony knows first-hand what it means to navigate the regulatory maze.Sure, it sounds a bit dry on paper, but, as always, Gunnar and James find the sweet spot between serious insights and a few good laughs. It’s smart, it’s honest, and it’s the kind of chat that’ll make both regulators and consultants think twice (in a good way). The episode was recorded on 10 October 2025.Listen to Below the Surface and collect CPD points. We have confirmation that you can claim 0.5 points for every hour you spend with us under the Self Education CategoryContact: [email protected] https://www.linkedin.com/company/below-the-surface-podcast The necessary disclaimer: The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this Podcast are the speakers’ own. They do not necessarily represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of 4Pillars Environmental Consulting Pty Ltd or any Client, Supplier or other party related to 4Pillars or the speakers. (c) Gunnar Haid and James Hammond

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• #35 The PFAS Heath Advice

  The NSW Health PFAS Advice includes quite some statements:“The health effects of PFAS appear to be small.” “… there was definite evidence of increased psychological distress in … exposed communities, evidence for other adverse health outcomes from this study was limited.” “Interventions that reduce blood PFAS are of uncertain benefit and may cause harm.”These comments seem at odds with much of the mainstream media's presentation around PFAS. Or even the recently drastically reduced drinking water guidelines or Version 3 of the National Environmental Management Plan (NEMP) for PFAS. On top of that, the statements are unusually direct for a government public health communication, which made us curious to understand how NSW Health had arrived at these conclusions.To find out, Gunnar and James reached out to NSW Health. Their media team was quick to respond and connected them with two members of the expert advisory panel:Dr Claire Hooker – Associate Professor, Health Humanities and Arts and Health, Sydney Health EthicsProf Martyn Kirk – National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, Australian National UniversitySpeaking with these distinguished researchers was a privilege. Despite being a little star-struck, Gunnar and James kept their cool and recorded one of their most insightful conversations to date.This episode was recorded on 30 September 2025 and it is dense with evidence, reasoning, and nuance - it’s well worth your full attention.Southern Cross University Acid Sulfate Soil CourseListen to Below the Surface and collect CPD points. We have confirmation that you can claim 0.5 points for every hour you spend with us under the Self Education CategoryContact: [email protected] https://www.linkedin.com/company/below-the-surface-podcast The necessary disclaimer: The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this Podcast are the speakers’ own. They do not necessarily represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of 4Pillars Environmental Consulting Pty Ltd or any Client, Supplier or other party related to 4Pillars or the speakers. (c) Gunnar Haid and James Hammond

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• #34 The Stormwater Stirrer

  Gunnar (without James this time) gives it a go to get to the bottom of the very basics of what we need to think of around stormwater on a site. There are few better suited to talk about the subject than our guest Mircea Stancu, the founder of Cleanstormwater. Mircea is a civil engineer, software engineer and, you guessed it, an expert in anything related to stormwater. He is also quite a flamboyant guest and he and Gunnar managed to put together a show case of the very best of (what Gunnar at least calls) attractive European accents. The two of them briefly talk about a dispute between Mircea and Melbourne Water, played out publicly on LinkedIn. If you feel like a little bit of entertainment, grab your popcorn and have a look at these videos:https://www.linkedin.com/embed/feed/update/urn:li:ugcPost:7185803882801848320https://www.linkedin.com/embed/feed/update/urn:li:ugcPost:7209037421026369536https://www.linkedin.com/embed/feed/update/urn:li:ugcPost:7215890816471302146https://www.linkedin.com/embed/feed/update/urn:li:ugcPost:7213783068518596609https://www.linkedin.com/embed/feed/update/urn:li:ugcPost:7211555577947127808https://www.linkedin.com/embed/feed/update/urn:li:ugcPost:7261621640537481216https://www.cleanstormwater.com.au/https://au.linkedin.com/in/mircea-stancu-193048108Southern Cross University Acid Sulfate Soil CourseThe episode was recorded on 5 June 2025. Listen to Below the Surface and collect CPD points. We have confirmation that you can claim 0.5 points for every hour you spend with us under the Self Education CategoryContact: [email protected] https://www.linkedin.com/company/below-the-surface-podcast The necessary disclaimer: The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this Podcast are the speakers’ own. They do not necessarily represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of 4Pillars Environmental Consulting Pty Ltd or any Client, Supplier or other party related to 4Pillars or the speakers. (c) Gunnar Haid and James Hammond

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• #33 The Waste Class Blues

  James K (James Karagiannis) has personally completed a stack of waste classifications. And in addition, he has reviewed somewhere between 1,000 and 1,200 reports written by other consultants for our clients. That gives him a rare, panoramic view of what great looks like … and what misses the mark.Gunnar and Hammond, James Hammond, sit down with him to unpack what he sees when reviewing these reports: some work that’s brilliant, some … not so much. We talk about the “not so much” parts in this episode.The original plan was to listen to James K. But with Gunnar’s well-known habit of  let’s say, sharing his thoughts, and Hammond’s nerdy knowledge in resource recovery and compliance, there may have been a little more talking than listening at times.Still, we think you’ll enjoy the conversation, have a few laugh and maybe even pick up a few tips to sharpen your own waste classification skills. Enjoy!The episode was recorded on 11 September 2025. Links mentioned in the episode:Electric Vehicles are allowed to use transit lanes in NSW NSW Health Expert Advisory Panel on PFASOur interview with NSW Health Panel members on the PFAS Health AdviceNightcrawler in NetflixEpisode with Linda Apthorpe on asbestos in soils analysisEpisode with Pierina Otness on how to sample for asbestos in soil on a siteEpisode with Ross McFarland about sampling and Decision UnitsGunnar's method of re-running samples accountablyListen to Below the Surface and collect CPD points. We have confirmation that you can claim 0.5 points for every hour you spend with us under the Self Education CategoryContact: [email protected] https://www.linkedin.com/company/below-the-surface-podcast The necessary disclaimer: The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this Podcast are the speakers’ own. They do not necessarily represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of 4Pillars Environmental Consulting Pty Ltd or any Client, Supplier or other party related to 4Pillars or the speakers. (c) Gunnar Haid and James Hammond

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• #32 The EPA CEO

  Tony Chappel, the CEO of the NSW EPA, is our guest today, so we are definitely back with a bang after the summer holidays. Gunnar and James are (surprisingly!) well-prepared and keep the conversation on track as they dive into Tony’s journey to leading the EPA, his early priorities, the role of politics in environmental regulation, and the importance of deep listening in leadership. They explore everything from the OCSE paper and the EPA's potential collaboration with industry bodies, to the tricky disconnect between waste and contaminated sites, the zero-tolerance stance on asbestos in waste, updates to the ASC NEPM, and the growing pressures on landfill capacity.And yes, Gunnar did try for a get-out-of-jail-free card from Tony… but no luck this time (nice try, though)!Three experts, one great conversation, and a rare look into the leadership and direction of the NSW EPA. This is definitely one episode you won’t want to miss.Links mentioned:NSW Health Expert Advisory Panel on PFASOur Interview with NSW Health Panel Members about this advice (recorded a few weeks after this episode went live)Draft ASS Order and ExemptionRecorded on 19 August 2025Listen to Below the Surface and collect CPD points. We have confirmation that you can claim 0.5 points for every hour you spend with us under the Self Education CategoryContact: [email protected] https://www.linkedin.com/company/below-the-surface-podcast The necessary disclaimer: The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this Podcast are the speakers’ own. They do not necessarily represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of 4Pillars Environmental Consulting Pty Ltd or any Client, Supplier or other party related to 4Pillars or the speakers. (c) Gunnar Haid and James Hammond

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