Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
ERA schemes developed by Canada, the Netherlands and Australia, although
built on the experiences of the USEPA schemes, are more targeted at identifying
risks from chemical contaminants specifically. However, very few ERA schemes
are used routinely for assessing ecological risks from contaminated land.
In the UK, the Environment Agency (England and Wales) has developed and
recently launched (October 2008) an ERA framework to help risk assessors
and regulators assess risks to ecological receptors from chemical toxicants on
contaminated land. The Environment Agency framework is intended for rou-
tine use, specifically to support implementation of the Environmental Protec-
tion Act (Part 2A) (1990). However, use of the ERA framework itself is not a
statutory requirement.
The aim of the Act is to identify, and remediate, land where contamination
is considered to be posing unacceptable risks to human health or the environ-
ment (DETR
2000
). Specifically, Part 2A refers to any ecological system, or living
organism forming part of such a system, within a protected site, including:
A site of special scientific interest (SSSI) notified under section 28 of the
Wildlife and Countryside Act, 1981;
A national nature reserve (declared under section 35 of the above Act);
A marine nature reserve (designated under section 36 of the above Act);
An area of special protection for birds (under section 3 of the above Act);
Any habitat or site afforded policy protection under paragraph 6 of Plan-
ning Policy Statement 9 (PPS 9);
Any nature reserve established under section 21 of the National Parks and
Access to the Countryside Act, 1949;
Any European site within the meaning of regulation 10 of the Conservation
(Natural habitats etc.) Regulations, 1994;
Any candidate Special Areas of Conservation or potential Special Areas of
Conservation given equivalent protection.
Natural England would also like Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) species and
habitats to be included in the statutory guidance if it is revised, as they are
not included at present.
Under Part 2A, land can only be determined as 'contaminated land' if there is
a 'significant pollutant linkage' present (i.e., there must be evidence of a
'contaminant pathway receptor' relationship; CPR). Although it is the respon-
sibility of local authorities to identify contaminated land, the Environment
Agency and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA)
aid this process by providing information and guidance on the assessment of
land contamination. In this context, the Environment Agency has developed a
tiered ERA. The ERA uses a tiered approach and comprises a number of different
levels (tiers), each providing different chemical and/or biological information
about a site (
Fig. 9.1
).
