Brownfield Sites Contaminated With Asbestos
When taking on brownfield sites, it’s common to expect challenges, and these challenges can lead to delays in the development project. Asbestos can easily be discovered on brownfield sites and even in the soil, so it’s important to understand how to handle asbestos contaminated land. Asbestos typically contaminated land due to previous waste materials from buildings being left or mixed with the soil. In the past, demolition works were carried out without checking for substances such as asbestos which resulted in them contaminating the land.
What Asbestos Will I Find On and In The Land?
Asbestos was previously used in a wide range of construction materials and it’s estimated to have been used in over 3000 different materials. Asbestos materials are usually divided into both licensed and non-licensed materials and these can easily be found in contaminated land, soil and water. Some of the most common types of licensed and non-licensed asbestos you might discover are:
- Asbestos Paper and Cardboard
- Asbestos Insulating Boards
- Asbestos Cement
- Asbestos Bitumen
- Asbestos Sprayed Insulation
- Asbestos Tiles
- Asbestos Millboards
- Asbestos Coating
It’s very easy for asbestos fibres to become broken down and mixed in with soil, so identifying it isn't easy. This means soil testing and ground investigation works need to be carried out to identify that asbestos is present.
What Are The Risks of Asbestos Contaminated Land?
Many people now understand the risk associated with asbestos and having contaminated land could expose people to these risks. From inhaling asbestos fibres to exposting other land, waste or water to it, it’s important to ensure asbestos land is handled carefully and treated in the right way to ensure the risks associated with it don't affect people using the land.
What Should I Do With Asbestos Contaminated Land?
Every contaminated land case is different, however you will need to carry out a number of things to ensure the asbestos is handled correctly and the right plan is put in place, these are:
- An asbestos contaminated land risk management plan needs putting in place
- You’ll need to appoint an asbestos consultant or contractor
- Employees will need asbestos training
- Regular asbestos testing will need carrying out
- A detailed asbestos land project record will need keeping
How Is Asbestos Contaminated Land Treated?
The project being undertaken and the work being carried out will depend on whether you remove the land from the site or not. Any type of asbestos needs to be removed correctly and within the guidance of the law. However, asbestos contaminated land can be reused on site, so long as it is placed within an area that is safe and manageable. Any reuse of contaminated land needs to be agreed with the Environment Agency and it must follow the strict regulations in place regarding asbestos handling. Should you decide to remove asbestos contaminated land then it must be transported to an asbestos landfill site in accordance with the most current waste regulations. All land should be removed correctly and following strict guidelines.