Contaminated Land: Does the Available Guidance in the UK Work

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Contaminated Land Does the Available Guidance in
the UK Work?

• An Assessment of CLEA

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Introduction

• Contaminated land is a subject of increasing
  relevance and importance
• Growing pressure on land resources and greater
  environmental awareness
• Need to reclaim and recycle land (Harris and
  Herbert, 1994)
• (OR SIMILAR!!)

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Project Background

• The idea for the title and the project came from
  my placement at Shepherd Gilmour Environment
  Ltd., an environmental consultancy based in
  Manchester.
• Whilst on placement I was involved in assessing
  contaminated land and became aware of the two
  pieces of guidance for the assessment of
  contaminated land.

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Project Background (II)

• Interdepartmental Committee on the Redevelopment
  of Contaminated Land (ICRCL) (mention this is
  older etc)
• Contaminated Land Exposure Assessment (CLEA)
  (newer guidance from the Environment Agency)
• ICRCL was totally withdrawn December 2002 (by the
  Environment Agency and) CLEA (INCOMPLETE) was
  fully introduced (but was not complete)

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Aims and Objectives

• Aims
• The aim of the dissertation is to identify and
  quantify whether or not the CLEA soil guidance
  works and fully meets the needs of the
  contaminated land sector in the UK.

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Aims and Objectives (II)

• The main objectives for the dissertation are as
  follows
• 1.     Outline the history and roots of
  contaminated land
• 2. Define contaminated land with reference to
  the current legislation in the UK
• 3.  Identify the causes of contamination both
  historical, present and future
• 4. Show how contamination has been quantified
  looking at ICRCL and reasons for withdrawal
  (CHECK THIS!)

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Aims and Objectives (III)

• 5. Introduce CLEA and explain its function and
  current use within the contaminated land sector
• 6. Provide and illustrate case studies as an
  example of how CLEA (has been/ is) used
• 7. Assess CLEA itself via literature review and
  primary research surveys (CHECK THIS)
• 8. Finally conclude whether or not CLEA actually
  works

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Research Methodology

• Primary Research Undertaken
• Questionnaires designed and sample set identified
• First drafts sent out and awaiting response
• Secondary research (literature review)
• Four main sources have been utilised and have
  yielded information these are
• Books
• Journals
• Internet Sites
• Past Dissertations

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Preliminary Results

• Secondary research (literature) has highlighted
  some preliminary findings which have informed
  development of survey
• Awaiting primary data (questionnaires, have not
  been returned)

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Preliminary Findings

• IN BRIEF!!!!
• The historical aspects
• industrial revolution
• scant legislation
• little control of industry (Lowe, 1989).
• of contaminated land have been identified, with
  the main period of causation of historically
  contaminated land coming from the industrial
  revolution, where scant legislation and control
  of industry was an everyday occurrence (Lowe,
  1989).
• Re-write this The era in which the subject of
  contaminated land was concluded to be the late
  1970s where committees were tasked with the
  responsibility of producing guidance for
  contaminated land namely ICRCL.

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Preliminary Findings (II)

• Contaminated land has been defined under the
  current legislation as

Any land which appears to the local authority
whose area it is situated to be in such a
condition, by reason of substances in, on or
under the land that   (a)         significant
harm is being caused or there is a significant
possibility of such harm being caused
or   (b)         pollution of controlled waters
is being or is likely to be caused.   Source Sec
tion 57 of the Environment Act 1995 (Part IIA EPA
1990)
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Preliminary Findings (III)

• Causes of contaminated land identified
• 3 main areas.
• Etc.
• The causation of Contaminated Land has been
  looked at, and three main areas for potential of
  contamination has been identified which can be
  applied to nearly all manufacturing processes as
  shown on the diagram on the next slide.
• The slides after that will show a table devised
  by Hester and Harrison categorising industries
  into highly, moderately and slightly
  contaminating processes.

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Preliminary Findings (IV)
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Potentially Contaminating Industries
adapted from Hester and Harrison, 1997, pp. 2-3
  Category
        HIGHLY CONTAMINATING INDUSTRIES
      Hazardous Waste Treatment       Bulk
Chemical Manufacture       Coal Gasification/
Carbonisation       Landfill and Other Waste
Treatment       Steelworks       Metal Ore
Processing and Refining (Iron and Lead)      
Oil Refining and Petrochemical Production      
Pesticide and Herbicide Production      
Asbestos Manufacture       Scrap Yards      
Pharmaceuticals Manufacture
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Preliminary Findings (VI)
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Preliminary Findings (VII)
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Preliminary Conclusions

• The literature review has yielded a large amount
  of valuable information
• Questions have been formulated to enable me to
  assess CLEA in environmental practice.
• Awaiting primary data from the surveys
• Conclusion to be drawn- does CLEA meet the need
  of the contaminated land sector in the UK?

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Further Work to be Undertaken

• Of the initial objectives, sections 1-4 complete.
• Objectives five to eight awaiting primary data.
• Author will continue to liase with placement
  company.
• Primary data to be collated and presented with
  appropriate conclusions drawn.
• Completed draft will be reviewed by the author
  the dissertation tutor and possibly if an
  agreement can be arranged and industry expert to
  ensure correctness of terminology and content
  (MAY NOT BE NEEDED)