Sustainability and Remediation - Dealing with Contaminated Sites: From Theory Towards Practical Application - page 911

be the result of a process characterised by openness as well as respectful and
responsible participation of all stakeholders.
The stakeholders at the centre of decision making are generally the project
team, comprising the site owner and/or polluter, whoever is being affected by the
contaminated site, the service provider, the regulator and planner. However, other
stakeholders can be influential, such as those who might use the site (workers, pos-
sibly unions, and other visitors); those who have a financial involvement in the site
or the site's ownership (e.g. banks, founders, lenders, insurers); the site's neighbours
(adjacent owners and tenants, local communities and councils); and particularly
for more complicated problems other technical specialists, researchers, NGOs and
pressure groups.
The more complex the site (both from a technical point of view and in the context
of its local circumstances) the greater will be the influence of these other stakehold-
ers. Their input can be managed via some form of a project advisory group or board.
After the decisions have been made this group can be used as a monitoring group.
There is an important connection between sustainable remediation and the interests
of this wider community of stakeholders, as their interests may be strongly related to
the wider benefits and impacts of the remediation project being carried out. A well
structured approach to sustainability appraisal can be used as a platform for posi-
tive engagement of these stakeholders and a structure for discussion and decision
making that provides an objective, as opposed to an emotional, context.
It is generally beneficial to involve key stakeholders from the beginning of a
project, particularly for complex or otherwise contentious remediation projects.
Generally, projects tend to fall into investigation and assessment and options
appraisal; remedial design; execution and verification phases, sometimes followed
by a long termmonitoring and maintenance phase. Execution is preceded by a reme-
diation plan being submitted to and approved by the competent authority. Although
the organisational structure during the investigation/assessment phase can differ
from the execution phase, the project manager should always ensure that each stake-
holder involved plays a role in the entire process of risk based site management.
Proactive engagement of relevant stakeholders in all phases of the process can help
minimise complaints afterwards about the violation of agreements. The problem
owner should ensure, perhaps by delegation through contractors, that stakeholders
are heard and that the objectives of the site remediation are safeguarded as it was
agreed upon with the competent authorities and stakeholders. Periodical meetings
can be used to evaluate the progress of the remediation works together with the
stakeholders and to check whether there is still consensus on the path to follow.
20.3 Using Sustainability Appraisal in Remediation
Option Appraisal
Remediation option appraisal forms a part of contaminated site Risk Management
which can occur during project design and/or remedy selection. Assessments of
sustainability are also seen as a means of differentiating remediation technologies