Brownfield Britain – Recent Experiences With Contaminated Sites in the UK

Derek Avalle

Over the last few years, the UK has seen some very significant changes in environmental legislation. In particular, this has affected the manner in which contaminated land assessment is undertaken and, consequently, the type of remediation approach that gains acceptance. Concepts such as suitability for use and harm now drive the assessment process in the UK, and quantified risk assessment is generally applied. Derek’s presentation outlined some facets of the evolution of the contaminated land regulatory regime in the UK. Drawing from a wide range of project experience, he highlighted a selection of examples that illustrate the range of issues that are posed by the reuse of former industrial land, some sites having a history of many centuries, as well as some remediation techniques that are being applied in the UK at present.

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