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An Environmental
Liability / Due Diligence or Pre-purchase Site Investigation
is an audit conducted prior to the acquisition or divestment
of a site or property.
The objective is to assess
the environmental liabilities associated with the
site which could be an issue for the site owner
or potential site purchaser. This allows investment
to be made on an informed basis, with all due consideration
of risk being taken into account.
Potential buyers wish to make an assessment
of the environmental liability associated with a site
alongside other issues. The assessment of property,
land and/or water contamination is now a critical element
in assessing risks and liabilities when considering
purchase or sale of land assets.
Our due diligence assessment services
include risk assessments and site investigations which
can assist in the estimation of potential environmental
liabilities associated with a site. This work may include
the following aspects.
Pre–Acquisition
Audit and Desk Study - Phase 1:
Historical research and review of available information
from sources such as archives, databases, contacts
on site and regulatory authorities to discover the
past and current activities at a site so that they
may be assessed for potential contaminative activities.
This will determine the potential presence of contamination
and extent of any environmental liability to the purchaser.
The Phase 1 Desk
Study identifies any potential sources of contamination
resulting from the current and / or historical activities
at a site. The report will also identify sensitive receptors,
e.g. human health, surface watercourses, aquifers, buildings
or ecological receptors and collates the information
relating to the environmental setting i.e. geology,
hydrogeology, industrial activity, location of controlled
waters (canals, estuaries, lakes, ponds, rivers, springs,
aquifers), pollution incidents and proximity to open/closed
landfill sites.
Potential pathways for contaminants
to impact on identified receptors are identified and
assessed. The process is based on making a qualitative
Risk Assessment using the source-pathway-receptor model.
Intrusive Phase 2 Investigation:
An intrusive site investigation may then be undertaken
to investigate any aspect of the site history that was
highlighted by the initial desk study and that could
have implications for environmental liability. Intrusive
investigation allows a visual assessment of the underlying
strata and sampling of subsurface materials to be undertaken.
Chemical analysis of soil samples
can be performed to establish the presence and delineate
the extent of contamination on the site. The investigation
can also involve assessment of groundwater beneath the
site, using chemical analysis of water samples and groundwater
modeling. This information is used to refine the risk
assessment, using the source-pathway-receptor conceptual
model formulated for the site.
The investigation to assess the potential
for environmental liability is designed and implemented,
using a variety of methods, depending on factors such
as the environmental sensitivity of the area, ground
conditions (anticipated geology, hydrogeology, the expected
presence of old foundations or other obstructions which
may have an impact on the technique selected), size
of site, type of contaminants identified by the Phase
1 desk study as potentially present.
Review of Previous Work and Other
Information – An assessment of the potential for
environmental liability to arise can also be made through
reviewing and drawing together reports, including work
undertaken in the past and other documents as an independent
third party.
Voelcker Consultants has been involved
in a wide range of development projects requiring investigations
of potentially contaminated sites in relation to environmental
liability. We are able to provide a comprehensive contaminated
land investigation service including:
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Production of Phase
1 Desk Study reports through extensive
information gathering, analysis and interpretation;
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Designing, commissioning and
supervising Phase 2 Intrusive Site
Investigations, to meet the requirements of both
the client and statutory authorities; |
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Independent Review of information
including site investigations findings and historical
information which may give an indication of the
potential for environmental liability to arise. |
We pride ourselves in being able to
tailor our service to client’s budgets and timescales.
Please
for a discussion of your requirements.
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