Project 1: Contaminated Land Remediation Scheme

The client’s site is situated on a railway embankment above a residential property. The client lost somewhere between 10 and 20 Tonnes of 48% strength Caustic Soda from one of it storage tanks, which then entered the garden of the neighbouring property. In addition to destroying the garden and killing a number of trees some of the material entered land drains and was discharged to a river nearby.   

Having been instructed by loss adjusters acting for the Company we have in the last two years:

• Confirmed that losses of chemicals into the neighbours land had been ongoing for several years.
• Negotiated a remediation strategy with the regulators (Environment Agency and Local Council).
• Undertaken these negotiations in a manner such that the client has not been prosecuted for the pollution of controlled waters or had the site designated as ‘contaminated land’.
• Assisted with the negotiation of the settlement of the civil claim by the neighbour.
• Managed the remediation contract and validated the completed scheme. This has involved the installation of a permanent barrier between the clients site and the neighbouring land.

PROJECT 2: Sizing and Installation of Effluent Treatment Systems for a major UK airport

Work for this current client has involved the plant installation and all aspects of performance monitoring, sizing and remedial works for the large number (>40) of domestic properties owned by the airport.

Work undertaken has included determining the route and connections of surface water and foul drainage to surrounding properties, and designing appropriate modifications and alterations for these connections. ecommendations for differing modes of discharge, such as outfall structures to meet Environment Agency regulations and soakaway schemes with initial percolation tests to check suitability, have also been addressed. The work includes supervising of contractors to carry out installations as per written instructions with new appropriately sized plants.

Once remedial work is complete, Peak secure any consent and check the effectiveness of the plant and subsequent effluent quality through a thorough inspection and monitoring service.  This allows for a continuous evaluation of treatment plant performance.

PROJECT 3: Environmental Audit for Animal Feed Producer in the Midlands

This audit was carried out in response to a commitment made by the company in its Pollution Prevention and Control (PPC) permit application, which stated that it was committed to installing and operating an environmental management system (EMS) at the site.

The primary aims of this audit were to identify the main issues or aspects at the site which may impact upon the environment; to prioritise these aspects according to those which may cause a breach of environmental regulations or present the highest risk to the environment; to make recommendations for areas where improvements can be made in order to minimise these risks; to assess existing documentation procedures and whether these are appropriate for incorporation into the site EMS; to review the site’s draft Environmental Policy and provide recommendations for adaptation for Company Use.

The company is currently receiving assistance in implementing an EMS to ISO14001 certification standard.

PROJECT 4: Due Diligence Audit for a Manufacuring Site in South East England

This audit was carried out on behalf of the potential purchaser of the site. The site was in an industrial area and the processes included di-isocyanate processes. The purchaser had significant concerns over the potential contamination of the site, problems with decommissioning of an existing plant, asbestos issues and compliance with legislation.

The audit demonstrated that the site was fully compliant with all of the legislative requirements and that an asbestos management plan had been instigated with all recommendations of the asbestos surveyor carried out. The plant decommissioning was also carried out with all due regard for potential contamination of land and controlled waters.  However, the audit did reveal that the site was on an area of ‘potentially contaminated land’, but the Local Authority could not confirm at the time whether this site would be included on its register of contaminated sites. 

A further intrusive investigation was therefore commissioned and this    demonstrated that, although there was some limited contamination of the site, the presence of the overlying concrete (up to 3 metres thick) prevented any mobilisation of this contamination or direct access to the site workforce.

The sale subsequently went ahead.

Project 5: Legal Defence during Prosecution of Chemical Company by Yorkshire Water

The case was heard at Leeds Crown Court and involved the alleged loss of nitrotoluenes to sewer.

Yorkshire Water’s case was that the works were forced out of consent for two weeks and that, as a result of this impact, a major tankering of sludge from the works was required. Waste sludges from the works was tankered by a subsidiary of Yorkshire Water Plc to a disposal facility owned by Yorkshire Water Ltd.

Our evidence showed that the breach of consent was more limited than claimed and that the levels of nitrotoluenes in effluent discharged to river was below the toxic threshold to coarse trout and other coarse fish. During the case, two of the charges were dropped by the prosecution.