Property Decontamination

Impact to the soil and or groundwater quality discovered on a property may be the result of historical land use, improper waste management or a more recent spill of hazardous materials.  The use of foundry slag or other materials can result in a property being classified as contaminated under present day soil and groundwater guidelines and regulations.  There are very few alternatives available to the land owner other than either having a detailed site characterisation performed followed by a risk assessment, or undertaking the excavation and disposal of the offending materials.  In the majority of instances the impact to the soil or groundwater cannot be managed by on-site treatment.

In the event that the impact is the result of a leaking underground storage tank or from a chemical spill, then several other alternatives are available to the landowner if the environmental conditions of the soil lend themselves to treatment.  In the case of clay soils, treatment by aeration, the use of enzymes or other in-situ treatment methods is difficult due to the low permeability of the soil.  A sandy soil or loose coarse material allows the passage of air and liquids at a faster rate than in clays and are candidates for injection of oxidants, the use of high vacuum extractions systems and traditional pump and treat applications.