There are many important factors to take into account prior to making any kind of land or property aquisition,and environmental pollution plays a major part. In the very worst scenario,environmental contamination can present hazards,to users and or residents of the site. This is one of the reasons environmental risk reports are such an important aspect of due diligence for any land or property aquisition.
Types of environmental pollutants
There are several different types of environmental pollutants that can cause dangers to the people who occupy land. In many cases these are associated with previous industrial use of land,although this is not always true as natural pollutants can also be a hazard.
There are many types of contaminants,these contaminants can include dust or gas pollutants which can be inhaled or pollutants in soils which can be transmitted to foods grown on the land and any grazing animals,and can also impact on the health of anybody working the soil.
Other contaminants can also damage property or leach out of the soil due to effects of groundwater or any river,stream or pond in the area. Some of these contaminants are corrosive and could even cause fires or explosions.
Examples of contaminants include:
– Lead or other heavy metals such as cadmium or arsenic
– Tar and oil
– Asbestos
– Radioactive materials
– Chemical substances and solvents
– Gas
You can discover more about contaminated land on the UK government website.
What isthe definition ofcontaminated land?
If you want to find out more about contaminated land or read technical guides on dealing with special sites on the website of the Environment Agency.
The legal definition of ‘contaminated land’ relates to land which contains substances which can cause:
– Very significant damage to property,people or protected species
– Harm due to radioactivity
– Pollution to surface waters,such as lakes or rivers,or groundwater
In many cases the contamination has been caused by previous use of the land by:
– Factories
– For mining
– Steel milling
– Refining
– Landfill sites
Contaminated land may also fall into a ‘special sites’ category. These sites could:
– Cause serious effects to any drinking water,or surface or groundwater
– Previously have been used for activities such as oil refining or making explosives
– Have previously been regulated under permits relating to integrated pollution controls or prevention
– Previously have been used for disposal of acid tars
– Have been used by the MOD
– Previously been used in connection with the nuclear industry or be contaminated with radioactivity
What about brownfield sites?
It’s long been government policy to bring what’s termed brownfield land back into use in order to help preserve the greenfield sites and land within rural areas. This land regeneration often causes concerns,however. The majority of larger towns and cities contain areas and sites that are not in use and due to demand,development of these brownfield sites and derelict buildings is becoming increasingly common.
In the past minimal regulations were in place to check on the re-use of brownfield sites or any possible environmental hazards thus presented. This is no longer the case,however, it has to be said most brownfield site developments are perfectly safe for residential purposes. Selling homes in these neighbourhoods can present some conveyancing issues,though.
If you have any concerns about environmental pollutants which could impact on your property purchase,give the experts at www.argyllenvironmental.co.uk a call to discuss your worries.