What happens if remediation is required?
Where remediation treatment is necessary the extent of the works will only be sufficient to break the pollutant linkage and make the land suitable for use. This can be achieved by removing the receptor, which is unlikely, or by breaking the pathway or removal of the source.
Source removal in the UK has traditionally focussed on digging out the material and depositing it in a landfill. This is unsustainable and so alternatives are preferred.
As an alternative, it is possible to break a pathway, for example by use of physical barrier between the source and the receptor and in this way the land would not be classified as contaminated land within the meaning of the statute but would still contain substances that would be harmful if a receptor came into contact with them.
Last updated : 06/07/2007
