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Contaminated land can result from many historical and ongoing activities. Land may have become contaminated by actions in the past when issues around contamination, pollution and waste management were not considered important by the community and the long-term effects of some chemical on the environmental and human health were poorly understood. Contaminated-site investigation and remediation will generally be site-specific. Where necessary, clients must employ the services of a qualified professional experienced in dealing with land contamination to undertake the site investigation.
Page contents:
- Managing contaminated lands
- Engaging a consultant
- Environmental consultants
- Certified contaminated land consultants
- Site auditors
- Professional organisations relating to contaminated-land
- Who can perform site investigations?
- Selection process
- Qualifications and competencies - prerequisites
- Skills and expertise
Managing contaminated lands
The management of contaminated land is shared by the state-based Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) and other state-based government departments and local councils. The state-based EPAs regulate contaminated land where contamination is significant enough to need regulation. Contamination that is not regulated by the EPA is managed through the planning and development process.
Engaging a consultant
Contaminated land consultants can provide advice on contaminated land assessment and remediation. A contaminated land consultant must be carefully selected. Contaminated land can present a range of issues that require technical expertise. Inadequate management can result in social, economic and legal implications and result in further work, additional costs and delays in approvals.
Environmental consultants
An environmental consultant can be a company that employs a range of professional and technical staff or be an individual person. Engagement of a consultant is undertaken in accordance with terms and conditions and a scope of works.
Certified contaminated land consultants
Certification scheme ensure consultants managing contaminate and have the necessary sills to carry out the work. Contaminated land reports submitted to EPAs must be prepared or reviewed and approved by a certified consultant. Local councils’ contaminated land policies may require contaminated land reports to be undertaken or reviewed by Certified contaminated land consultants. The two schemes certified by EPAs are:
- Environmental Institute of Australia and New Zealand – Certified Environmental Practitioner Site Contamination (CEnvP SC)
- Soil Science Australia Certified Professional Soil Scientist Contaminated Site Assessment and Management (CPSS CSAM)
Site auditors
Accredited site auditors can be engaged to independently review contaminated land consultant reports to ensure the methos and interpretation of data is consistent with guidance. The scheme is administered by state EPAs. Review of contaminated land assessments by a site auditor is a requirement of some changes in land use may be a requirement of the EPAs or local councils contaminated land policies. A site audit may be needed when:
- land with a history of contaminated activities is to be redeveloped to a more sensitive land use
- the planning authority believes on reasonable grounds the information provided is incomplete
- it does not have the internal resources to conduct its own technical review.
Professional organisations relating to contaminated-land
Membership to professional societies indicates a minimal level of knowledge and commitment to ongoing professional development. Relevant profession organisation includes but are not limited to:
- Australian Contaminated Land Consultants Association (ACLCA)
- Australian Institute of Geoscientists (AIG)
- Australian Land and Groundwater Association (ALGA)
- Environment Institute of Australia and New Zealand (EIANZ)
- Engineers Australia
- Soil Science Australia
Who can perform site investigations?
Membership of a prescribed organisation does not guarantee that the person or consulting firm has the necessary skills and background to conduct contaminated site investigations. Members of these organisations must also have appropriate qualifications and experience relevant to the particular contaminated-site investigation.
Selection process
Finding the right environmental consultant to conduct the investigation is a task that should be undertaken carefully. Investigating contaminated land requires technical expertise and the process of choosing a professional and competent consultant for contaminated-land work should be similar to the process used in selecting any specialist professional consultant.
The following guidelines may assist in the selection of a consultant to undertake the site investigation:
- Look up 'environmental consultants' online The professional organisations listed above also have their own websites.
- Prepare a shortlist of consultancy firms from search results, or from contacts who may have previously engaged consultants to do work similar to the work required.
- Undertake an initial screening by asking the selected consultants to provide information about their qualifications and experience, with reference to the lists below (Qualifications and competencies – prerequisites and Skills and expertise) . Most firms will readily supply information on completed projects and the experience of individual staff members. Clarify what work was performed by the firm and what work was subcontracted.
- Seek a list of projects from each consultant in which the services performed were similar to your project’s requirements, and ask for a list of clients whom you may contact to discuss the consultant’s technical and management skills.
- Ask for a detailed quotation, ensuring that the scope of the work is clearly described. Ask for the names, experience and extent of contribution of persons who will be involved in the project. A tendering process, including a specification relating to appropriate qualifications and experience, may also be appropriate.
- Check the professional credentials of the chosen consultant before engaging the consultant.
- Clarify the process for any work found necessary in addition to that specified in the original contract.
- Clarify who is to seek any approvals required under the relevant environmental protection legislation.
In some contaminated-site investigations it may be appropriate for the specialist consultant to subcontract certain parts of the investigation or remediation work not within their area of expertise (eg laboratory testing). If this is the case, clarify who the subcontractors are, what their role is and who will be supervising them.
Qualifications and competencies - prerequisites
It is essential that persons conducting contaminated-site investigations have the necessary skills and experience to conduct the investigation work. Consultants are required to have:
- appropriate qualifications
- membership of an appropriate professional organisation
- experience in conducting contaminated-land investigations
- knowledge of the relevant environmental-protection legislation and associated contaminated-land policies and regulations (including the requirement for prior approval to remove contaminated soil from the site)
- familiarity with the guidelines, if any, of the relevant environmental-protection authority for the assessment and management of contaminated land
- understanding of methods of assessing and managing contaminated sites
- knowledge of the available technologies and processes for treating contaminated soil, preferably on site, and the providers of treatment services in the relevant jurisdiction
- knowledge of relevant scientific literature for assessing the impacts of contamination on human health and the environment
- an acceptable level of professional liability insurance.
Skills and expertise
A contaminated-site investigation generally requires skills in and knowledge of:
- assessment of contaminant transport and exposure pathways and risk management
- compilation of historical information
- contaminated-land assessment and management
- design and methodology
- soil
- groundwater
- air
- soil gas
- environmental chemistry
- environmental toxicology
- hydrogeology
- identification of human health and environmental risks
- identification of potential contaminants of concern
- interpretation of analytical data
- knowledge of data quality objectives
- quality control and assurance procedures
- remedial technologies and geotechnology.
- soil science
- understanding of conceptual site models
- understanding of risk assessments
- work health and safety
Disclaimer
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