Contaminated land assessments
The risk of contamination is usually addressed in a phased approached as follows:
- Phase I Desk Study Report; a preliminary land condition survey that identifies potential sources of contamination that could affect the site. A conceptual site model is developed to outline potential risks;
- Phase II Ground Investigation Report; conducted when a contamination risk is perceived;
- Phase III Remediation Strategy; produced where an unacceptable risk is found; and
- Phase IV Verification / Validation Report; to validate that risks have been removed.
Where elevated levels of contaminants are present above published guideline values, a site-specific Detailed Quantitative Risk Assessment (DQRA) can be conducted, which can remove or substantially reduce the need for expensive remedial strategies. JGP has considerable experience in conducting DQRAs and risk assessing contamination, including:
- Bioaccessibility, speciation, plant uptake and overall toxicity of various metals, including arsenic risk assessments;
- Characterisation, modelling and toxicological assessment of organic / hydrocarbon contamination and the design and supervision of bioremediation and natural attenuation schemes; and
- On-site delineation of contamination hotspots to site-specific clean-up levels, minimising the amount of material needing to be remediated or removed to land-fill, providing considerable cost savings.
JGP has been successful in mitigating and effectively managing liabilities for clients in issues dealing with the risks associated with contaminated land and other environmental regulatory compliance issues. Liaising with environmental officers within the Local Planning Authorities and Environment Agency enables us to ensure regulatory compliance and reach appropriate, pragmatic solutions for clients.