Contaminated Land

More information

How is land contaminated?

Land contamination typically arises from historical activities that have occurred at a time when there was less awareness or regulation to control or clean up substances entering our environment.

Contamination of the land can also be caused by anyone mishandling materials such as lead-paint, oil, asbestos, construction materials, fuel oils etc. and sometimes harmful substances can be naturally occurring, originating from the underlying geology, such as radon gas.

These contamination hazards only present a risk where a pollutant linkage exists, with an exposure pathway connection between receptor (e.g., human) and a potentially harmful substance in, on or under the land.

What can Inverclyde Council do about land that is contaminated?

Inverclyde Council's Public Protection Team protects human health, the water environment, protected ecosystems, and our built heritage ‘receptors’ from harmful contamination through our regulatory powers under Part IIA ("Part 2A") Contaminated Land of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, and through engagement with landowners and developers in the development management consultation processes i.e., Planning Applications and Building Standard Warrants.