Land Contamination in Ireland: Causes, Risks and Remediation
Land can look perfectly normal and still have a contamination problem. A site may have a clean surface, healthy-looking grass and no obvious smell. Beneath it, there could be oil, fuel, chemicals or other contaminants left behind by an old industrial activity, a leaking tank or an accidental spill. That is what makes land contamination difficult to deal with. The history of a site matters. So does what is happening there today. In Ireland, the EPA identifies historical activities, unauthorised waste-related activities, leakages and accidental chemical spillages as potential causes of soil contamination. For property owners, developers and businesses, the important question is not simply whether contamination exists. It is whether it poses a risk, where it is located, how it can move and what needs to be done about it. What Is Land Contamination? Land contamination occurs when substances have entered land at concentrations or in circumstances that can create a risk to people, water, pr...