Environmental guidance for your business in Northern Ireland & Scotland
The assessment of land that is contaminated or where contamination is suspected is a complex process. Site investigation and sampling are part of this process and should only be undertaken by those organisations or individuals who are competent, experienced and insured to undertake this type of work.
The information gained by these investigations is very important for:
If you are commissioning a site investigation for your construction site, make sure it is carried out in accordance with British Standards, best practice and current guidance.
It should include:
Intrusive site investigations need to be properly designed to collect the right quality and quantity of information.
Any site investigation must be undertaken in such a way that protects human health and the environment and should be carried out in accordance with:
Any report outlining the results should include a plan of the site showing where the samples were taken.
An accredited laboratory must undertake the analysis of samples taken from the site. Ensure that information on testing processes used and equipment calibration certificates are included in the results document.
Make sure that the laboratory tests run on the samples from the site include appropriate tests for all contaminants identified as likely to be present by the desk study (preliminary risk assessment).
Investigations for contamination can be undertaken separately or with other investigations, such as geotechnical works to collect information for foundation design.
An interpretative report should accompany the results. Specify what you want to use the information for. Use experienced contractors who can use the information that they have obtained to advise you.
Try to find out if a previous desk study and/or site investigation has been undertaken at the site. If so, try to get a copy of it. This information will need to be reviewed to see if it is suitable and relevant to the design of the proposed investigation. Previous site surveys may give you an indication of what should be included in a site investigation and may give an idea of what results to expect. This is an indication only. Do not rely on historic surveys undertaken by others.
If no information is available about the site, a good desk study and conceptual model are required prior to designing the site works.
Your local council Environmental Health Department or environmental regulator may hold information about the history of the site.
Groundwater in Northern Ireland, DAERA have produced a leaflet to raise awareness about this untapped resource
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