GROUNDWATER
Contaminated land: issues and practical considerations illegal dumping, leaking underground storage tanks, floods, pesticide use, and fertiliser application.” Contaminated land is not rare, and almost every industry must deal with it. Industrial sites have traditionally been built on the outskirts of towns and cities, but urban expansion has seen many housing projects being built on or next to industrial areas. Today, many industrial sites are in the centre of towns and cities. Contaminated land is required to be declared to the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) under Part 8 of the National Environmental Management: Waste Act (No. 59 of 2008; NEMWA). Shand adds that resolving land contamination issues requires a detailed understanding of the chemistry and geology to fully comprehend and contextualise the risks associated with the contamination. It is also vital to
The contamination of land by hazardous substances may involve contaminated topsoils or subsurface soils that can leach toxic chemicals into nearby groundwater or surface water – affecting plants, animals and humans. By Kirsten Kelly
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his can be the result of historic or current site activities, including incidents during the manufacturing, handling and storage of hazardous substances,” says Lindsay Shand, principal environmental geologist at SRK Consulting. “Various activities have the potential to contaminate land, such as manufacturing, mineral extraction, abandonment of mines, waste disposal, accidental spills,
Surface water quality sampling at a lake
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Lindsay Shand, principal environmental geologist, SRK Consulting
develop a robust site conceptual model that describes the potential receptors at risk and forms the basis of the remediation action plan (RAP). This RAP informs the remediation order issued by the DFFE. Issues and practical considerations Water stewardship: Soil, groundwater and surface water are closely interlinked. Water stewardship provides the necessary integrated systems approach for the management of these resources. “Water stewardship encourages one to consider the catchment area and understand your water use, as well as contamination risks to the immediate environment and catchment area. It improves the management of contamination risks, operations and water,” states Shand. Photo credits: SRK Consulting
