On 30 Jul, 14:45, "Andrew Mawson"
wrote:
Has anyone on list had experience of contractors decontaminating land?
We are buying a parcel of land, part of which was once used as a coal
yard, so there is the odd bit of coal still lying arround, not much
but definately some. Planning permission has been granted for a barn
conversion, but is conditional on a contamination survey, ( inc soil,
soil gas, surface and ground water sampling) the be carried out by 'a
suitably qualified and accredited consultant/contractor..' At the end
of the day it is only a few bits of coal, maybe a few hundredweight
spread over an acre or so, but somthing is going to have to be
sacrified to the local planning gods and some form of decontamination
process carried out.

AWEM

In Scotland the contaminator pays if he`s traceable.If not the current
owner is liable.The danger is that the contamination is not just the
bit of coal you are seeing but that it is deep into the ground.If it
is deep and depending upon what it is the council/epa may serve an
order on you to clean it up.This as you are no doubt aware can be big
bucks entailing complete excavation of the site,treatment of the
contaminated spoil and it`s disposal.You then still have to reinstate
the site.
It is normal up here for the buyers legal people to have a clause in
the sale that leaves any contamination problem with the seller and it
is also usual for the sellers legal people to refuse to accept that
condition.It is also acceptable to have a drilling for contamination
survey to be done as part of the offer for the property.My preferred
course of action when faced with the possibility that a possible
purchase is contaminated is to walk away as the councils and
enviromental agencies do not take into consideration what the cost
will be to the landowner,all they want is the site cleaned up
regardless off cost.There will always be another buy another day.
Mark.