14/09/2005 - Two thirds
of land identified as being affected by industrial
contamination in England and Wales is estimated
to have undergone some form of remediation,
according to estimates published today (Wednesday)
by the Environment Agency.
Looking at both chemical and radiological
contamination, the new report Indicators for
Land Contamination examines the legacy of
a long industrial past in England and Wales,
to improve understanding and assist in identifying
the need for, and managing the process of,
remediation.
Land affected by contamination is often characterised
by concentrations of chemicals in the soils.
In some cases where contamination occurs,
the land may need to be remediated in some
way. It is the responsibility of local authorities
and / or developers to identify land that
is contaminated and to ensure any necessary
remediation work is carried out to make sure
it is suitable for its current or intended
use. All local authorities have strategic
plans for inspecting their areas to determine
the extent of land contamination. The Environment
Agency has a role in advising local authorities
and in regulating the remediation of some
sites.
In order to estimate the national picture
for progress in identifying and remediating
land contamination in England and Wales, the
study looked at existing land contamination
and planning records for 12 sample areas chosen
to be broadly representative of the country
as a whole.
The study looked at the amount of:
land identified as chemically contaminated
to an extent requiring some form of action
to prevent or mitigate harm
chemically contaminated land that has been
remediated
The results of the study show that in England
and Wales:
an estimated 67,000 hectares, an area roughly
the size of Greater Manchester, has been identified
as being affected to some extent by chemical
contamination
an estimated 44,000 hectares of land affected
by chemical contamination has undergone some
form of remediation
Additionally, the study looked at the extent
of land that has been used by industries employing
either chemicals and / or radiological material
at some point in its history. This is simply
a measure of land use that may have caused
chemical or radiological substances to be
present and does not mean that the land has
actually been affected by contamination or
identified as contaminated. The report cannot
be used directly to identify or suggest potential
or actual threats to human health either generally
or in relation to specific sites.
The results of the study show:
At some point in its history, an estimated
300,000 ha of land (325,000 sites) has been
used by potentially contaminating activities.
For example the site of gas works, chemical
works or industrial works.
Radioactive material has been used, stored
or disposed of on an estimated 27,000 ha of
land (53,000 sites). For example, the site
of a former radium luminising workshop or
hospitals using radioactive sources.
Of those 53,000 sites, the report estimates
that between 100 and 1000 sites (with the
best estimate being 250) may require consideration
under the proposed extension of Part 2A of
the Environmental Protection Act to include
radioactivity. However, only a fraction of
these sites are expected to be found to be
contaminated to a degree which would require
remediation.
Similarly, only a small minority of the 325,000
sites used by potentially contaminated activities
are likely to be found to be contaminated
to a degree which would require remediation.
Dave Johnston, Land Contamination Policy
Advisor at the Environment Agency, said:
“This report gives us the broad picture of
how much land has been subject to potentially
contaminating activities. It’s important to
stress that this does not mean that the land
is actually contaminated and it is likely
that most of this land will not have contamination
to any appreciable level.
“We did not aim to survey or list individual
sites but to provide estimates based on available
information, such as old Ordnance Survey maps
and local authority land records. The information
should assist in considering the progress
being made in tackling land contamination,
and in the development of policy and strategies
at a local, regional and national level.
“The report shows that significant progress
has already been made in identifying and remediating
land contamination either through redevelopment,
voluntary improvements by site owners or through
the requirements of Part 2A of the Environmental
Protection Act. This progress is encouraging
but there is still more work to be done alongside
local authorities"
NOTES TO EDITORS:
The project was carried out by the Environment
Agency, Defra and the Welsh Assembly Government.
A copy of the report is available as a PDF
download from the Environment Agency Website
at http://publications.environment-agency.gov.uk/pdf/SCHO0805BJMD-e-e.pdf.
A Science Summary is also available from the
Environment Agency Website at http://publications.environment-agency.gov.uk/pdf/SCHO0805BJME-e-e.pdf
The report has also been used to support the
outline regulatory impact assessment within
the recent Defra consultation on the extension
of Part 2A of the Environmental Protection
Act to include radioactivity. The deadline
for responses is 9 October 2005. For further
information see http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/epa-radioact
Nuclear power installations were not included
in this study. Legislation already exists
to control and deal with contamination at
Nuclear Power Stations. The study covered
types of radiological contamination in the
proposed extension of Part 2A of the Environmental
Protection Act to include radioactivity that
are not currently subject to regulatory control.
The numbers produced by this report are indicative
and as such should be treated with caution,
providing an overview of the possible extent
of land contamination in England and Wales.
The report does not identify particular areas
of land, nor does it contain a list or register
of sites. All of the uncertainties and their
effects on the validity of the Indicators
are described and discussed in the report.
The study used four indicators to assess:
how much land was previously used by industries
using chemicals or radiological material (CS1)
the progress that has been made in identifying
land contamination requiring some form of
action to prevent or mitigate harm (CS2)
how much of the land identified as being affected
by contamination has been remediated to prevent
harm (CS3)
whether any new land contamination problems
are being created (CS4)
Key results
The results for the indicators are expressed
as ranges, and are qualified by uncertainties
generated by the different techniques.
The mid-point of these ranges are:
Indicator Land (ha) Number of sites
CS1 (chemical) 300 000 325 000
CS1 (radiological) 27 000 53 000
CS2 (chemical) 67 000 33 500
CS3 (chemical) 44 000 21 000
CS4 (chemical) 30 1000
How were the estimates calculated?
Two techniques were employed to derive estimates
for the area and number of sites for the indicators,
for either chemical and / or radiological
contamination. The techniques were extrapolation
from surveys undertaken at locations throughout
England and Wales, and examination of national
data sources. The sample areas aimed to cover
a representative cross-section of local authorities,
on a regional basis, and also on the basis
of industrialisation as defined through the
National Statistics Area Classification scheme.The
indicators were mainly populated by extrapolating
from local authority and Environment Agency
records for the Town and Country Planning
system and Part 2A of the Environmental Protection
Act 11000.
The estimates of the amount of land which
may potentially require investigation under
the proposed extension of Part2A to include
radioactivity:
The report considers there are somewhere between
100 and 1000 sites (with the best estimate
being 250) that may require consideration
under the proposed extension of Part 2A, although
only a fraction of these are expected to actually
be contaminated to a degree requiring remediation
The 53,000 sites above is purely a measure
of the number of sites occupied by industries
etc where radioactive material has been used,
stored, disposed of, or concentrated as a
result of industrial activity. It does not
equate to the presence of actual elevated
levels of radioactivity, or risk of harm to
human health or ecosystems resulting from
it. There is no suggestion that these activities
have resulted in contamination to any appreciable
level at the vast majority of sites. Also
in most cases the area of each site where
such material has been used, stored, disposed
of or concentrated would be a small percentage
of the total.
We estimate that roughly 0.5% of the sites
where radioactive material has been used,
stored, disposed of, or concentrated could
be contaminated sufficiently to represent
a risk of causing harm. Of this 0.5%, there
would have to be a combination of the nature
and extent of the radioactivity and the use
of the land for actual harm to occur. So whilst
there may be roughly 250 sites that could
cause harm, only a proportion of these will
be doing so, although this fraction cannot
be estimated at present.
What is remediation?
Remediation is the term used to describe
actions taken to prevent or mitigate potential
harm to human health or the environment resulting
from land contamination. The UK's policy on
the management of land contamination is to
use the processes of risk assessment and risk
management to deal with it. In many cases
it is not technically possible nor is it financially
feasible to return land or groundwater to
the condition it was in prior to it being
affected by contamination.
This policy and the term "remediation"
are both defined within the Part 2A regime
and the guidance relating to land contamination
for town and country planning purposes (Planning
Policy Statement 23).
There have to be three factors in place for
a site to be "contaminated"
Firstly a "source" of contamination
that has the potential to cause harm or pollution.
Secondly there has to be a "receptor",
that is someone or something that could be
adversely effected by the contamination.
And finally there has to be a "pathway",
that is a means by which the contamination
can travel to and affect the "receptor".
All three together (source, pathway and receptor)
are known as a pollutant linkage. Remediation
can therefore be described as action taken
to break a pollutant linkage and thus prevent
or mitigate harm occurring as a result of
contamination from man's activities.
Some people have used the term "clean-up"
to describe the process of remediation. This
is inaccurate, inappropriate and can lead
to unrealistic expectations of what actions
will be taken at a site to deal with risks
from land contamination.
Land contamination in England and Wales is
identified and dealt with through a number
of different regulatory processes. These include:
Part 2A of the Environmental Protection Act
(11000);
the Town and Country Planning Act (1991);
the Waste Management Licensing Regulations
(1994);
the Pollution Prevention and Control (England
and Wales) Regulations (2000);
the Water Resources Act (1991);
the Radioactive Substances Act (1993).
Most land contamination is remediated through
the redevelopment route and costs are absorbed
accordingly. Where this is not the case local
authorities can either get the appropriate
person under the Contaminated Land Regulations
to pay for clean up or, if they cannot be
found, undertake the remediation themselves.
The local authorities can apply to a fund
administered by Defra and the Welsh Assembly
Government.
What is the Environment Agency’s role in
remediation of contaminated land?
The primary regulators of land contamination
in England and Wales are the local and unitary
authorities under the Town and Country Planning
Act and Part 2A.
Under the planning regime, the Environment
Agency is a consultee for a number of different
proposed land uses and will comment on and
urge conditions be placed upon development
where there is a risk to controlled waters
as a result of known or suspected contamination.
Under the contaminated land regime (Part
2A) the local authorities have a duty to inspect
their areas to identify “contaminated land”
as defined (in broad terms, land posing unacceptable
risk of harm to human health or the environment
including pollution of controlled waters).
The proposals to extend the Part IIA regime
to include radioactivity are slightly different,
for details see www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/epa-radioact
Once land is determined as contaminated land,
the land may also be designated as a special
site if it matches certain descriptions in
regulations. The remediation of special sites
is regulated by the Environment Agency.
