| Contaminated land remediation is a process that | | | | at this time. |
| effectively reclaims previously unusable land because | | | | A site survey can be performed next. This will |
| of contamination for whatever reason. We are all | | | | complement the initial research and provide further |
| familiar with the concept of recycling tins and cans | | | | information through soil, groundwater and gas |
| and paper as part of the responsible way to deal | | | | sampling, as well as assessing the risk, if any, that is |
| with household waste. Recycling land is really no | | | | involved. |
| different. It simply takes land that is unusable and | | | | A more detailed risk assessment can be carried out |
| makes it usable once again. | | | | to identify and isolate areas of severe contamination |
| Land can become contaminated for various different | | | | and pollution. Using the information gathered, goals |
| reasons. It may be land that once sited a chemical | | | | for cleaning up the land can be set and a detailed |
| factory, or an old gasworks plant. It could also be | | | | remediation strategy can be drawn up. |
| that the land has become contaminated by extensive | | | | The simplest contaminated land remediation strategy |
| oil or fuel spills or through the introduction, deliberate | | | | is one that deals with the problem on site. Water and |
| or otherwise, of some other pollutant. | | | | soil is treated in their natural surroundings and the |
| Contaminated land remediation aims to stop chemicals | | | | disruption to normal life is kept to a minimum. This |
| and other pollutants from harming the immediate land | | | | strategy has the main advantages of being |
| environment. The contamination may be surface only, | | | | sustainable and cost effective. |
| or it may have filtered down to the water table. In | | | | Removing the soil and other contaminated materials |
| either case remediation is required to bring the land | | | | to a landfill site is another option. This is usually done |
| back into an acceptable condition for continued safe | | | | when the contamination is severe. It has the |
| use. | | | | advantages of being relatively fast and effective, but |
| The simplest method of contaminated land | | | | it is not always the most cost effective solution. |
| remediation is the so-called "dig and dump" method. | | | | Furthermore, the site often needs to be resurfaced |
| This simply involves digging up the contaminated soil | | | | again to replace the materials removed. This |
| or aggregate and dumping it somewhere else. This | | | | increases the costs involved considerably. |
| may bring about effective remediation in one area, | | | | Bioremediation of contaminated soils is essentially the |
| but it really only transfers the problem to somewhere | | | | process of allowing bacteria to transform polluted |
| else. | | | | materials back into unpolluted materials. It is a natural |
| Contaminated land remediation requires a proper | | | | process, but it does take time and cannot be |
| strategy in order to be fully effective. An effective | | | | speeded up. |
| strategy could start with thorough research being | | | | There are various other methods of achieving |
| conducted into the past history of the land site as | | | | contaminated land remediation. Sometimes the |
| far as it is known. | | | | contamination cannot be completely removed. In |
| The research should help to define the type of | | | | these cases the harm or potential harm of the |
| contamination being dealt with and whatever pollution | | | | pollutants are minimised and the land is brought to a |
| is likely to be encountered. The site's geology, | | | | tolerable state. |
| hydrology and soil information can also be gathered | | | | |