Geo-Environmental
Principal Services Summary:
- Site Specific Environmental Risk Assessment
- Quantitative Risk Assessment including reference to CLEA, RBCA, CONSIM, R&D20, and SNIFFER. Both Qualitative and Quantitative assessments conform to both Local Authority and Environment Agency requirements
- Factual and Interpretive reports setting out recommendations and solutions for remediation
- Contaminated land assessment, sampling, testing and investigation
- Supervision of remedial works
- Post Remediation Certification
- Waste Acceptance Criteria (WAC) Testing
- Regulatory consultation and Liaison
- Planning Application Support
- Waste Management Strategies
Eaton Geotechnics Ltd provides a comprehensive design and consultancy service for the successful management of Geo-Environmental projects.
Contaminated Land
Dealing with contaminated land is a technically interesting, frequently challenging and complex area, which involves meeting stringent criteria for both testing methodology and remediation programmes. We have wide experience in this area, and our role is initially to design and carry out robust sampling and testing to determine any hazards likely to affect human health or the environment.
Based on these results we can then make recommendations for remediation techniques which will reduce or eliminate these hazards in the most cost effective way. These proposals must satisfy the regulatory authorities, by reducing contamination to acceptable limits and therefore allow verification of the site. Sometimes this may require establishing a monitoring programme for ground gas, vapours or groundwater over a period of time to monitor reducing levels until the target end point is achieved.
Clients:
Whether you are a single house builder looking to conduct due diligence before purchasing a plot of land, or a developer needing a full investigation for a brownfield site we are able to design and manage an appropriate programme to suit your requirements.
The Process:
Desk Study
Usually our first step is to complete a desk study of the site, using an extensive range of in house and external databases to produce a comprehensive site profile which covers historic use as well as relevant geo-physical and geo-environmental factors. This allows us to make an initial qualitative risk assessment to determine the presence or otherwise of contaminants, and assess any potential liability.
Testing
Depending on the results of this initial study, a more intrusive in-situ testing and sampling programme can be designed, looking into chemical contamination of the soil, together with ongoing monitoring for gas or groundwater contamination. This allows us to produce a quantitative assessment of contaminants, identify sources, map contamination plumes within the site and identify potential receptors such as aquifers, residents, wildlife etc.
Report and recommendations:
Factual and Interpretive reports are then developed giving our analysis of environmental and human health risk and recommendations for remediation where required. Our knowledge and experience in this area allows us to provide the most cost effective solutions, commensurate with ensuring that client liability is significantly reduced, or ideally eliminated. In some cases material can be treated in-situ where in others it may be more cost effective to remove it completely.
Why is this necessary?
Environmental Risk Assessments are now a frequent requirement as part of commercial land purchase, and forms an integral part of the planning process.
Investors may require pre-acquisition or due diligence surveys to satisfy any concerns about future financial or environmental liabilities arising from contamination of either soil or ground water.
Pre-purchase testing results carried out for due diligence may have an impact on the purchase price for a site, and also allows accurate costings to be prepared for remediation which can then be factored in to the overall development cost.
Early assessment of the situation will highlight potential risks and may help avoid any unforeseen delays and associated cost increases on a project at a later date.
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