Environmental Audit & Monitoring Flashcards
What items are you looking for in connection with a site in a built up area?
- Site use history, any known contamination risks in area, nature of neighbouring properties, previous site surveys, any major services, train lines, bomb maps, water table/site location to rivers
Who is responsible for contamination on a site?
- Polluter pays policy in UK. Whoever caused the contamination is responsible for its investigation, assessment & remediation. If land is sold and buyer is aware then responsibility is passed on.
What does a desktop study involve?
Desk based collation of documentary data. Including site history, geology, pollution incidents, hydrology, site plans
What would a site walkover survey involve and what would you be looking for?
AKA Reconnaissance survey. Physical inspection of site, record features that occupy site. Points of safe access, any existing structures and their condition ie cracks? Trees/vegetation, visible signs of contamination. Surrounding building uses, nearby watercourses?
What is the general risk assessment approach founded on when assessing contaminated land?
Land Contamination Risk Management framework. 1- Preliminary risk assessment, initial conceptual site model to establish any unacceptable risks, 2- Generic quantitative RA, generic assessment criteria and assumptions to estimate risk 3- Detailed quantitative RA - detailed site specific information to estimate risk
What screening levels do we have for contaminated land?
Category 4 used in UK for soils. Level 4 is acceptably low.
What legislation do we have around Environmental Audit and Monitoring?
- Environment Protection Act 1990
- Approved Document C
- Eco-management Audit Regulations
- ISO 14001 Environmental Management Systems
What other measures outside of Building Regulations do we have for contaminated land?
- Environmental Protection Act 1990
- Contaminated Land Regulations 2012
What is the different between SAP and SBEM?
SAP - Standard Assessment Procedure, accurately provides carbon emissions of domestic homes.
SBEM - Simplified Building Energy Model - other buildings such as hotels, warehouses, offices etc
What type of gas membrane was installed at Rainham and how did you determine that this was suitable?
Environment Agency and Environmental Health department provided us with maps detailing developments within 250m of landifll site which could be affected by ground gases. Site in rainham fell within CIRIA 665 Amber Risk rating 1. Visqueen low permeability barrier chosen. Random samples carried out each year to monitor risk.
What type of gases are produced from landfill sites?
Methane and carbon dioxide are the main bulk
What acceptable levels of gas results would you consider ‘safe’ and how would you assess this?
-Avoid term ‘safe’ and say an acceptable level of risk. Used to use 5% methane and 1.5% CO2 as rule of thumb however these figures would be taken in to account alongside risk assessment and conceptual site model. Determining what is acceptable would be responsibility of geo-environmental engineer. Line of evidence approach should be taken based on range of desk based and field based data.
If gas monitoring was carried out, what would be looking for in terms of frequency and number of tests carried out?
Minimum 6 readings over 3 month period, minimum 3 boreholes. Guidance in CIRIA 665. Range and extent would be based on the conceptual understanding of the site and potential risks identified from the desk study/ground investigations. Enough to justify decisions made about contamination control on site.
What affects gas migration?
Atmospheric Pressure is a significant factor, but temperature can also be a driver
If the asbestos was buried on site, what depth would you expect this to be dug to?
Burying Asbestos would need to be done under a Landfill Licence. Location of burial pit should be known and logged in the H&S file so any futures changes know about it. Deep enough that no one will get to it ie if someone wants to do an extension they wont uncover it.
