In urban planning, brownfield land is any previously developed land that is not currently in use that may be potentially contaminated. The term is also used to describe land previously used for industrial or commercial purposes with known or suspected pollution including soil contamination due to hazardous waste.
What causes contaminated land?
Land can be contaminated by things like: heavy metals, such as arsenic, cadmium and lead. oils and tars. chemical substances and preparations, like solvents.
What happens if soil is contaminated?
What Does it Mean if Your Soil is Contaminated? If your soil is contaminated, there’s a chance that the toxic materials can be absorbed into the plants you’re growing. These chemicals are detrimental to soil health and could damage, or even kill, the plants you’re growing.
Can you live on contaminated land?
Put simply, it is quite safe to live on a property with light contaminated soil if you follow a few simple precautionary rules. If there is heavily contamination of the soil on your property, you have a number of options and duties.
Who is responsible for land contamination?
Once it has been established that the land is classified as contaminated, there will be a responsibility for the relevant person to clean up, i.e. remediation. The Environmental Protection Act states that the responsibility for cleaning up contaminated land is generally the person who caused the contamination.
How do you deal with land contamination?
Procedure for dealing with land potentially affected by contamination.
- Step 1 – the desktop study. Establish former uses of the site and adjacent buildings.
- Step 2 – Detailed site investigation. (when necessary)
- Step 3 – Remediation Strategy. (when necessary)
- Step 4 – Validation Report. (when necessary)
Can contaminated land be developed?
Usually where there is reason to believe land may be contaminated, or the proposed development is of particular sensitivity (such as housing with gardens or a school) a full assessment may be required in advance of planning approval being issued.
Can you buy contaminated land?
In some cases, a contaminated property may need remediation work which can have huge financial implications as well as making difficult it to sell or re-mortgage. However, if the risk of the contamination is deemed low, it may be possible to get a mortgage to buy a property on contaminated land.
How long does contaminated land last?
Based on a number of sites that have been investigated throughout the country, time scales have varied from approximately one to five years, with some sites being investigated over longer periods before a decision is reached on whether or not it requires remediation (clean up).
Where can I get advice on land contamination in Northern Ireland?
In Northern Ireland advice is provided on land contamination via the planning process, managed by DOE Planning. In Northern Ireland provisions to deal with contaminated land have been produced but are not yet in force.
What should I look for when inspecting a site for contamination?
Always check that a desk study, a site investigation and risk assessment has been carried out with regard to potential contamination on the site and that it follows Environment Agency guidance CLR11.
Can I reuse contaminated material on my site?
If material excavated on your site is suitable – in terms of engineering properties, health and environmental considerations – you may be able to reuse it as part of the development. For information on the licensing requirements associated with the reuse of contaminated material, please contact your local environmental regulator.
How should contaminated materials be stored?
Contaminated materials may need to be stored in a particular way, for example to prevent contaminants from leaching into the ground or into watercourses in the area where the contaminated material is being stored. Drainage from such storage areas may need to be contained or treated.
