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A couple of tips for you if you’ve unfortunately had an oil leak or spill.

Firstly are you safe…?

If you’re not sure, get out (raise the alarm) and call the fire brigade.

What constitutes being safe?

–       The first thing to look for is oil, if you can see it lying on surfaces then you may have a fire hazard and your best plan will be to get out and raise the alarm.

–       Vapours are the next concern.  When a spill or leaks occurs odours will become apparent.  If they are strong, i.e. they make you dizzy, give you a taste of oil in your mouth, then your health may be at risk and you should immediately leave the area and get assistance.

If you think it is safe, and help is far away, then here’s a good plan of action.

  1. Stop the leak – our ’3 ways to stop an oil leak blog’ may help you carry this out.
  2. Contact the specialists, start with your heating engineer and move on to your insurance company or call us.
  3. Stay away from the suspected impacted area – this could be rooms filled with vapour (oily smells), saturated soils (shown by dead plant & grass), oily surface waters.

If in doubt why not call our emergency hotline – 0800 0209 307

Guide

2022

Visit our oil spill clean up guide

Here we present answers to lots of your questions about Oil Spill clean up. We also cover prevention, health and safety, clean-up, as well as response plans and spill response services.

CHECK IT OUT

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As we spend all of our time looking at the health of the ground we feel that it is only right and proper to highlight the annual event of Movember and look at mens health.

Every year thousands of gallant men raise awareness of men’s health, specifically prostate cancer and testicular cancer by growing moustaches.  In fact some women – Mo Sistas – join in with fake Mo’s.

Emergency Mo Response for Movember 2011
Emergency Mo Response for Movember 2011

So this year we thought we’d launch an Emergency Spill Response for Movember 2012.  What we are doing is calling upon all of you to drop your razors and grow a Mo…!

The shape, size and volume is totally up to you.  The main thing is to GROW, GROW, GROW…!

Once you’ve grown your Mo if you have a spill that you cannot contain, then for a small donation to charity, we’ll be more than happy manage your contamination through our Emergency Spill Response Service.   Please note there will be an additional charge for any soup incidents…!

If you fancy donating, following or indeed joining Team Moulutions (like the pun…?) please click here.

Grow Mo Grow…!

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So does it cost more to remediate a site than to simply dig out contamination and dispose of it to landfill?  Well that depends upon the site and the contamination.  Which is the ambiguous answer you were dreading rather than the straight yes or no you wanted but before you close your browser in disgust let me explain.  Government policies such as increasing landfill tax costs (currently £102.10/tonne as of April 2023) are specifically intended to make disposal to landfill as unattractive as possible.  Current guidance and best practice also encourages the minimisation of the volumes of material going to landfill.  With increasingly inventive and refined use of various remediation techniques the sun is definitely setting on the era of big dig and dump projects.  However it does all inevitably come down to cost and if the volume your removing is small and the site is close to the landfill then maybe it is the most economical option.

But before you decide there are a range of factors to consider so that you make an informed choice.  Is there a remedial option which will achieve your aims, eliminate the risk and satisfy the regulator?  Can this be achieved within the time frame of your project?  Will it impact upon other site works or receptors?

If you dispose of material to landfill have you considered all of the associated costs; Will the material require pre-treatment?  If it’s hazardous there will be time and costs associated with the relevant paperwork, communication with SEPA or the EA, H & S documentation and it’s implications to your method of work.  Have you factored in the haulage costs?  Will you be able to load contaminated soil onto vehicles as it’s being excavated or do you need to construct a stockpile area?

This isn’t to scare you into choosing one technique over another but the idea that it’s always simplest, quickest and cheapest just to dig contaminated soil out and send it away definitely isn’t true any more.  In our experience it’s often cheaper to treat contamination in-situ or excavated but on-site simply because you’re not paying to move soil around the country.  Even if it does have to leave site it may be possible to avoid landfill tax by sending it to a suitably licensed treatment centre instead.

If you want to compare the various options that would work for your site we can carry out an options appraisal for you and give you a costed range of viable possibilities.  This will allow you to make an informed decision on how best to resolve your contamination problem and keep your costs down.

If you want to know more just give us a call on 0131 538 8456 or drop us an email.

Comments are always welcomed as well.

FREE EBOOK

2021

Soil remediation guide

Approaching soil remediation without any prior knowledge can be difficult and uncomfortable at times, especially when it can potentially be very costly. This free eBook will help you understand the whats, the whys and the hows of soil remediation in the simplest terms.

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When you’ve got a challenging contamination issue how do you find out what technique(s) will work best for your problem…? 

Well, the best thing you can do is get robust a remediation strategy put together that the regulator will approve.

So how do you go about this…?  Well, let’s consider this another way.  What if you’ve got to put together a team to play a game…let’s say Ultimate Frisbee, in the world championships…?  Never heard of it…well, neither had I until I met Sam.  So you’d need to consider; 

  • the rules (Environmental legislation)
  • who applies them (regulator; i.e. The Environment Agency, SEPA, Local Councils, etc.)
  • what you do (what remedial techniques are there)
  • where you do it (when and where to apply the technique)
  • how do you win (validating that you’ve achieved your agreed target) 

Now after you’ve put all that together you then have a robust remedial strategy or might even be able to win the game.  However, you might want to call us for advice on the former and leave the latter to the experts.  By the way our Sam’s managed to Captain the GB team to the finals of The World Flying Disc Federation 2012 World Ultimate and Guts Championships in Japan (Frisbee to you and me…!) – check out http://bit.ly/NGB0aW 

Come-on guys…!

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Direct Push, in-situ Chemical oxidation (chemox) treatment is a process where an oxidising chemical is injected into the ground to oxidise organic contaminants. This method can be used to reduce hydrocarbon concentrations (oil, petrol and diesel etc) in groundwater and soils.  The in-situ application is particularly useful where time or engineering constraints make other methods such as bioremediation or excavation and disposal of contaminated soils impractical and is well suited to remediation of petrol station sites.

Injection lances are pushed into the contaminated material (to pretty much any depth and angle required) using a purpose built continuous percussion drilling rig, a pre-determined volume of oxidising chemical is pumped under pressure through the lances at locations and depths to reach the contaminated horizons. We’ve often found that several injections are required to achieve a significant reduction in contaminant concentrations.

There are a range of factors to consider when carrying out this kind of work not least the hazards associated with handling an oxidising solution and it’s movement within the ground during and following the pressure injection. If you want to know more about the chemical oxidation visit our web-site here.  We’re always happy to answer your questions so please feel free to phone or e-mail us.

FREE EBOOK

2021

Soil remediation guide

Approaching soil remediation without any prior knowledge can be difficult and uncomfortable at times, especially when it can potentially be very costly. This free eBook will help you understand the whats, the whys and the hows of soil remediation in the simplest terms.

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Big toys help!

The video below shows us ‘turning’ contaminated soils, first we added moisture and nutrients, then we put all of the soils through the Allu bucket to aerate and mix the soils.  Why?  Read on.

Before bioremediation is started a few aspects must be considered.  To start with, the contaminant must be ‘right’, i.e. biodegradable which generally means lighter-end hydrocarbons generally in the range of lube oils to petrols.  The soil must be ‘right’ for the process, not toxic enough to limit the process.  Toxic contaminants are most often PAHs, and sometimes metals which are present in concentrations which limit / prevent microbes from functioning.

The principle of the process is that organic compounds are broken down naturally in the environment by degrading microbes.  Bioremediation is the process of accelerating the natural process by stimulating the growth of these degrading microbes.   Stimulating microbes is generally done by controlling some / all of the following-

  • Oxygen concentration (the higher the better)
  • Carbon dioxide concentration (the lower the better)
  • Temperature (the higher the better)
  • Nutrient concentrations (balanced)
  • Moisture content (balanced)
  • Microbe types (e.g. introducing hydrocarbon specific degrading microbes)
  • Microbe number (whilst the above stimulates growth, we often need to add more to boost the process.)

Our blog on ‘What is Bioremediation’ may answer a few more questions, and our web-site  quite a few more.   If you’d prefer to quiz us then feel free at the usual contacts info@soilutions.co.uk and 0131 538 8456.

FREE EBOOK

2021

Soil remediation guide

Approaching soil remediation without any prior knowledge can be difficult and uncomfortable at times, especially when it can potentially be very costly. This free eBook will help you understand the whats, the whys and the hows of soil remediation in the simplest terms.

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Getting the right remedial solution to match your contamination needs can be akin to finding your perfect partner in life.

Sometimes it all works out great and other times the results just don’t quite meet your expectations.

Jumping in both feet first can often lead to problems and greater expenditure down the line.  But delaying could cost you more in the long term.  And you certainly should not be dragged kicking and screaming into a situation which does not feel right to you.

To find your perfect remedial partner you need to appraise your current situation, work out where you want to go and then make an informed decision as to what options are available to you.

Now, I’m not saying we are marriage counsellors, far from it, but we do know how to find you the right remedial solution that will marry with your site requirements.  So why not give us a call to see how we can help you.

 

And why all the marriage references…?  Well our Operations Manager Sam is getting married to Sally this Saturday, and knowing Sam he will have fully appraised his situation, worked out his options and made an informed decission, well before Sally did it for him…!

Best of luck guys – the Soilutions Team

 

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Save Britain’s Heritage –v- Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government – 25 March 2011 Court of Appeal [Civil Division] EWCA CIV 334

A recent landmark ruling of the Court of Appeal in the above case determined that demolition of buildings is considered to be a “project”, for the purposes of EIA Directive 85/337/EEC, and hence, an Environmental Impact Assessment (“EIA”)  has to be undertaken before planning approval can be granted.

Whilst this ruling may have important consequences for the demolition fraternity will we soon see EIA being required for remediation works…?  Another remediation expense…!

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Similar to in-situ remediation…?

Further to Sam’s recent blog you’ll be pleased to know that his recent keyhole surgery went well and he’s now on his way to a full recovery.

So why am I writing about this…?  Well keyhole surgery is very similar to in-situ treatment techniques, trust me on this…!   You analyse where the problem is, you plan your strategy for remediating the affected area,  and then go for it without having to open everything up and causing pain and inconvenience to all concerned.  Just as a surgeon would do except they wear green robes and we wear white smurff suits… now there’s a thought should all Environmental Practitioners where green protection suits instead of the normal white ones…?  At least we wouldn’t look like a scene from Taggart…!

In-situ remediation techniques range from physical removal (e.g. vapour extraction, groundwater extraction and treatment), to bioremediation (e.g. air sparging) and/or chemical treatment (e.g. chemical oxidation).  With so many techniques available on the market it’s very possible that one, or a combination of them can help you avoid opening up a very large wound on your site and reduce the pain you will no doubt endure when paying for it.  All you need to do is speak to the right people to find out options for your site. Remediation Contractors are a good place to start.

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With all the unrest across the Middle East is now a wise time to look overseas for those lucrative remediation contracts…?

We are presently reviewing our overseas marketing strategy. Why I hear you cry…!

Well this time last year I was in Bahrain looking at a £20M remediation contract and if the contract had proceeded according the required timescales, right now we could be sitting in a hotel room praying for our beloved government to come to our rescue…!

So should we continue to pursue overseas markets and expose ourselves to large financial risks whilst risking our own lives…? Is the pursuit of remediation contracts or indeed any other commercial opportunities worth this risk…? What advice are SDI and UKTI giving to UK companies seeking overseas contracts…?

Having enjoyed enquiries from China, India and Malaysia we’ve decided to pursue safer territories and let those with body guards, Hummers and AK47’s chase the work where the bullets fly.

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Time flies doesn’t it? Only a few years ago we were sending everything to land-fill, paying relatively little, and the landfill site owners were richer than us. The government then introduced the landfill tax escalator in order to encourage investment in alternative waste management options.  The increases in tax for hazardous soils, also known as the standard rate which is currently £102.10/tonne as of April 1st 2023, combined with the actual cost for disposal, has lead to a surge in remediation technologies which reduce contaminant concentrations allowing cheaper disposal or re-use on site.

We’ll be back with information on Land Remediation Relief (up to 150% tax relief on qualifying expenditure) in a later blog.

FREE EBOOK

2021

Soil remediation guide

Approaching soil remediation without any prior knowledge can be difficult and uncomfortable at times, especially when it can potentially be very costly. This free eBook will help you understand the whats, the whys and the hows of soil remediation in the simplest terms.

by Leave a Comment

It’s still easy to think that excavating and disposing of your problem is the best/easiest route forward, without looking at other options, however a variety of remediation techniques are available on the market and at least one may save you money and/or reduce project time frames.

The simplest way to allow yourself this pleasure/pain (delete as appropriate) of choosing the best option is to find a company who can supply the knowledge you want, to present it to you in a clear and concise format, and take you through the options.  A good assessment should provide at least the potential techniques, costs, time frames, and risks (if any) for each route forward.

We’re not quite at the easy access compare the comparison web-site yet, mainly because it’s not a simple process to assess remediation options. To provide a robust assessment, Phase I and Phase II reports are a minimum requirement,  although it is possible to formulate a rough assessment during a conversation so feel free to phone, we love to chat (0131 538 8456).

The level of assessment is down to you, we’ll put a specification together to suit your needs whether it’s a brief letter, or an in-depth report, just ask.  Drop us an e-mail if you have any questions (info@soilutions.co.uk)

To read more see our remediation options appraisal service on our web-site.

FREE EBOOK

2021

Soil remediation guide

Approaching soil remediation without any prior knowledge can be difficult and uncomfortable at times, especially when it can potentially be very costly. This free eBook will help you understand the whats, the whys and the hows of soil remediation in the simplest terms.