At the beginning of 2021, BBC News reported that the oil giant was sued for polluting the community. The news illustrates the corporate effort in maintaining good health in the operating area concerning its reputation. The neglect would cause the lawsuit and cost penalty for the improper supply chain management. It is wrong to think local community and regulations are not under the corporate scope. Apart from achieving Sustainable Development Goals and avoiding penalties, health and safety are other critical reasons to pre-assess the land condition before the development.
Redeveloping a place is typical worldwide. New construction taking up the used ground for a new purpose revitalises the land – from contaminated land to sustainable urban development. In the US, the determining factors are founded on the release volume, total population exposed, proximity or impact to groundwater aquifers, drinking water wells contaminated, source water protection areas, unique exposure pathways, or environmental justice communities.
Because of the land limitation, urban residential redevelopment is the most cases in Hong Kong. We have regulations assessing the land for reuse, changing the land use, especially from industrial to residential use. For business continuity, another spot required by law for regular checkups is the petrol filling station. Petroleum leakage and seeping would likely cause pollution, impacting the local ecosystem significantly.
Environmental consultants support the clients in site appraisal, investigation, and remediation suggestions in the land contamination assessment. Taking petrol filling station as an example, the checkups of leaks from pipework, tanks and offset fill pipes, the operations such as spills during customer refuelling, filling underground storage tanks and overfilling portable containers are the conceivable reason for land contamination. You can picture how it was operated underlies the potential adverse impact on the future redevelopments.
Key Chemicals of Concern (COCs) are the parameters that environmental consultants would look at from the laboratory analytical results. The environmental consultants interpret the results for the clients, let them understand the issue, recommend remediation action, evaluate remediation alternatives, design and operation of remediation, implement and monitor the programme. In this case, independent consultants are essential to ensure the authenticity and integrity of the reports.
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By: ANewR Consulting Limited, a digital environmental consultant headquartered in Hong Kong since 2008. Our expertise has grown into the context of air and water qualities, noise, green building, waste management, and remediation. With extensive know-how in environmental planning and assessment, feasibility study and policy review, ecological design, monitoring, and audit (EM&A), ANewR has matured to be a leading management consultancy. Standing in the digital transformation reign, ANewR has participated in various environmental digital projects – interactive 3D visualisation, immersive automation virtual environment, Virtual reality, automation system, and monitoring platforms.
(Website: https://anewr.com, LinkedIn: ANewR Consulting Group, Twitter: ANewR – Everyday Newer,YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnpvmxnR9hbNxytSfBdfV8Q/videos)
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