Ground Remediation

What is Ground Remediation?

Ground Remediation is a term we use mostly in reference to brownfield sites. What is a brownfield site? This is a term used in planning to describe any previously developed patch of land that is not in current use. So when a building is demolished, the patch of land left behind is called a brownfield site.

What are some Examples?

Examples of Asbestos Containing Materials (ACMs) found in brownfield sites include:

• Cement products
• Insulation debris and boards
• Rope insulation

Contaminated land is becoming more of an issue for developing sites across the UK, as more and more historic buildings are destroyed over time. As historic dwellings come down, new homes go up, meaning this area of Asbestos Risk Management will continue to grow in importance with property developers.

Inadequate waste management processes and the demolition of historic buildings containing asbestos means some of these brownfield sites are contaminated with asbestos, VOCs, hydrocarbons and a whole host of fly tipped materials.

Remediation Rules and Regulations

Waste materials that have an asbestos content higher than 0.1% weight/weight (w/w) must be classified as Hazardous Waste. This is a requirement in both The Hazardous Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2005 and The Special Waste Amendment (Scotland) Regulations 2004.

Anything less than 0.01% can be categorised as non-hazardous waste, unless there are additional contaminants present that can make the waste dangerous. If fibrous asbestos is present in the soil in concentrations higher than 0.001% this can pose risk to human health. The soil must be dealt with as hazardous waste and the handling of the materials must be completed by a licensed company.