What is Contaminated Land?
Legally land is considered contaminated when a harmful substance has been spilled or dumped causing a threat to humans or animals. This could either be above or below the ground there are many things that could cause land contamination. In addition to this, the land may of previously been a brownfield industrial or commercial site, and has naturally had the land contaminated over time.
Most Common Land Contaminants
- Chemical Substances
- Radioactive Substances
- Heavy Metals
- Asbestos
- Oils and Tars
You may have heard contaminated land referred to as “special land” or “special site”; these are usually increasingly hazardous parts of land; the most common is because the drinking water is affected. If this is the instance the technical guidelines on the environmental agency should be applied.
Should I Buy Land That's Been Contaminated?
If you're wondering who’s responsible for assessing whether land is contaminated and whether it poses a threat to humans or animals then that would be your local authority. Should you find any land you own is contaminated then you must contact the Contaminated Land Office in your area immediately. When looking for a new property or looking at buying some land we always advise you to do an environmental search on the land or property not only does it provide insight into the land’s condition it also provides you with information about flooding and land stability. It’s highly unlikely that your research will return anything but if it was to do so you could seek help from the local authority about what to do next.
Who Is Responsible For Contaminated Land?
According to The Environmental Protection Act the responsibility falls on those who originally caused the land contamination. Although this may seem simple it can sometimes become complicated, the contamination may have occurred decades ago and in some cases dating back centuries so tracking down the culprit becomes almost impossible.
Unfortunately if this is the case then the problem falls to the current owners, if the current owners default on mortgage payments then the responsibility then falls on the mortgage lenders. Turning to the local authority isn’t as simple as you may think either, the whole rigmarole can be stressful and time consuming it may be easier to find a private clean up contractor to help.
There are lots of reasons as to why land becomes contaminated, and in many cases it all boils down to what the land was used for previously. Some industries that cause land contamination are:
- Farms
- Refineries
- Factories
- Landfills
- Mines
- Steel Mills
Over the years the UK has been used to serve many purposes, and much land that has been contaminated has gone years without being discovered and even go as far back as the Industrial Revolution.
How Solmek Can Help With Contaminated Land
At Solmek, we offer a full 4 phase process to help identify and clean up contaminated land. Initially our desk study will help us to identify what the land has been used for previously giving us a better understanding of what the land might be contaminated with. Once this has been carried out, we will then begin our site investigation work which will involve taking samples of the soil from both above and below ground using various intrusive methods, this will help us to identify exactly what the soil is contaminated with. If you are happy with the results of the site investigation, we can then suggest and begin the remediation work to clear or treat the contaminated land. Once this work has been completed, we can then validate the land clear of any contamination.