The Stages of an Environmental Assessment That Go Into Discerning Land Contamination
Posted on: 8 September 2018
If you are looking into property development on a vacant lot, you should know that it would be extremely judicious of you to seek an environmental assessment. These assessments are critical for the reason that you get to learn about the potential of any contaminants that may be present on the property. Once you gain clarity on the condition of the lot, you then get to understand the potential remediation that should be carried out. So what are the stages of an environmental assessment that will go into determining land contamination?
Stage 1: Evaluation of the lot
The first stage of an environmental assessment functions to furnish the owners with information pertaining to their land. So while there are physical tests that are carried out, the specialist will conduct investigations to learn the history of the property. For instance, if the lot were previously utilised for ether industrial or commercial purposes, then this would indicate that testing will be imperative as part of the environmental assessment. Additionally, the lot will be visually inspected by various professionals such as a geologist and an engineer for any signs of contamination. Lastly, the specialists will also review public records of the lot that will enlighten them on the different ways the land was utilised.
Stage 2: Physical testing of the land
Once the first stage is complete, the specialist will then carry out physical tests on the property to test for various forms of contamination. This testing includes checking the condition of the soil, the groundwater and even the air. If the evaluation showed that the lot could have been exposed to hazardous agents, the specialists would also test potentially contaminated sources such as standalone buildings. These tests will function to reveal if specific toxic agents are present like asbestos, pesticides, petroleum, lead, mould and more.
Stage 3: Remedial investigations
Remedial investigations refer to the feasibility studies that will be carried out to determine the extent of land contamination. The findings that come from the remedial investigation will then help your assessment team to come up with a plan for remediating the property through cleaning up the contamination. Take note that being unaware of land contamination does not make you less liable to the harm that it could cause if other people are exposed to the pollution and develop chronic health problems. The reason behind this is that the local council can hold you accountable irrespective of whether the land contamination was unintentional or caused by the previous owner.
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