The Environment Agency (EA) have released new Soil Guideline Values (SGV’s) for benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylenes (BTEX), mercury and selenium. Further SGV’s are anticipated being released later on this year. In addition the EA have released CLEA software version 1.04, which replaces CLEA software version 1.03 beta. The new software contains additional approaches, which may be useful for site-specific risk assessment. These new guideline values are a step towards reaching some sort of industry standards for environmental consultants, local authorities and other regulators to use across the board so that we are all singing from the same hymn sheet so to speak.
The use of these new SGV’s will be used in all site investigations undertaken by GeoCon, along with other accepted guidance such as the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH) Land Quality Management (LQM) Generic Assessment Criteria (GAC’s).
GeoCon undertake a Phase I preliminary site investigation on a historic landfill site in Middleton, Manchester for a proposed new build visitors centre at the local nature reserve. The results of this assessment were to progress to Phase II site investigation after gaining approvals from the Environment Agency and the local authority Environmental Health Officer. The phase II site investigation should comprise window sample boreholes and the installation of ground gas monitoring standpipes. A gas monitoring regime should then be carried out in accordance with CIRIA 665 to establish the risk from hazardous ground gases at the site.
GeoCon currently wait for an instruction to proceed with the Phase II site investigation.
