Contaminated Land
Contamination of the land can arise from past industrial
processes, waste disposal, illegal dumping, accidental spillage of
substances and in some instances may be natural rather than
man-made.
In the past there were far fewer operating restrictions for
industries than we have today. Many industrial activities were
carried out with little regard for their impact on the environment,
particularly prior to the Control of Pollution Act 1974. The type
of contaminant can vary widely from site to site. Some of the more
common problems include oils and fuels, domestic and industrial
waste, heavy metals and solvents.
Different contaminants can cause problems in a variety of
ways.
For example, they can:
- travel through or move across the ground and pollute water
resources such as underground water, lakes and rivers
- Be inhaled as dust particles
- Be absorbed into, or irritate the skin
- Be taken up by plants that are grown in the ground to be eaten
by humans or animals
- Break down to create potentially dangerous gases including
methane, carbon dioxide etc.
- Have a detrimental affect on building materials e.g.
cement
It is therefore important to identify areas where contaminants
are likely to be present and to deal with them so that the site is
made suitable for its use, and to negate any affects to
neighbouring land.
Contact
Email: envhealth@dover.gov.uk
Telephone: 01304 872230
