Digging Up the Dirt on Soils

Acknowledging the importance that soil plays in our everyday lives, we assembled four of SOCOTEC’s soil experts to discuss what the declaration means for soil, what the future holds for soil legislation and testing, and what SOCOTEC can offer those looking for guidance. Those scientists included Simon Mason (principal soil and environmental scientist, Infrastructure Services), Charlotte Reeve (operations manager, Infrastructure Services), James Dodgson (business development manager, Built Environment Services and Chair of SOCOTEC, formerly ESG, Asbestos in Soils working group), and Amy Parekh-Pross (technical marketing manager, Energy & Waste Services).

To begin proceedings, we asked: why has it taken so long for soil to get the recognition it deserves?          

Simon : “Healthy soils are essential for many aspects of our daily lives, from ecosystem functioning to storm water capture, yet all too often they’re taken for granted – perhaps because soil has a bit of an image problem as ‘just dirt’.

“While it’s certainly positive that 2015 is the International Year of Soils, the recent withdrawal of the EU’s Soil Framework Directive - in response to the European Commission's current 'Push for Growth' initiative - is definitely a step backwards as it would have recognised soil as a non-renewable resource. It’s likely that the Directive would have led to increased funding, as well as an upturn in contaminated land investigation and remediation. For example, it would have placed a requirement on landowners to prepare a soil status report when selling land, which would have led to earlier identification of contamination and therefore a reduction of environmental damage."

Is there any upcoming legislation that’s relevant for soil?

Amy: “There’s a lot more than you’d probably think! For a start, the Waste Classification and Assessment Technical Guidance (WM3) is due to come into force in June 2015. The previous iteration, WM2, has a significant impact on the environmental industry with regards to oily wastes, so it will be interesting to see the implications of WM3, especially with regards to the testing of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs).”

James: “And speaking specifically about asbestos contamination within soil, the HSE’s Approved Code of Practice L143 is currently being reviewed to include more detailed guidance on dealing with asbestos in soils. Also, we understand that both the HSE’s Analysts' guide (HSG 248) and the Licensed Contractors guide (HSG 247) are being reviewed with soils contamination being amongst the key considerations."

Charlotte: “To make sure that our clients are well advised, we’re constantly keeping on top of any changes that new or revised legislation brings in, whether that’s how to dispose of soil safely, or what the safe levels of asbestos in soils are, as well as investing in our offering to make sure we're ahead of the curve."

Have you seen any trends in terms of soil analysis?

Charlotte: “Definitely. For example, the industry is becoming more aware of the processes required for correct waste classification, and in particular the Environment Agency's renewed focus on it. There’s also been more of a proactive interest in asbestos in soils.”

James: “As Charlotte said, we’ve certainly seen an increase in the number of clients proactively looking to find out whether the land they want to develop is contaminated with asbestos. In fact, in the first three quarters of 2014, compared with the same period in 2013, we saw the number of pre-emptive enquiries rise by 25 per cent.”

Amy: “Within the Environmental Chemistry team, we’ve seen an increase in requests for soil testing across the board, including a rise in requests for Total Petroleum Hydrocarbon (TPH) interpretation (for the assessment of the type of fuel present), as well as an increase in our WM2 testing suite, which meets the requirements of the oily waste guidance.”

What does SOCOTEC offer in terms of soil analysis or investigation?

James: “Our clients have a wide range of requirements. When looking at our offering, we found a key challenge for our clients was that they couldn’t find a company to provide guidance not only in regards to asbestos contamination, but all other contamination in soil. As such, we’ve developed a team of experts who can consult on asbestos, contaminated land, waste, environmental chemistry, geotechnical and materials testing, which is supported by an industry leading laboratory and analytical service provision.”

Amy: “Due to the complex and varied nature of soil matrices, we’ve implemented robust extractions alongside state-of-the-art analytical techniques, to test for contaminants in soil. The Environmental Chemistry laboratory offers a comprehensive range of UKAS and MCERTs accredited tests for contaminants in soils. We’re also enhancing our offering so we’ll soon be able to provide Lower Level Phenols and Semi-volatile Organic testing to meet the requirements of the Contaminated Land Assessment Guidance (protocols published between Water UK and the House Builders Federation) which details thresholds for the selection of water pipes."

Simon: “In fact, our soil scientists are members of the Institute of Professional Soil Scientists and British Society of Soil Science, and can carry out topsoil and subsoil surveys of development and redevelopment sites to assess soil quality, quantity and variability across the site, as well as providing recommendations to improve or maintain soil quality during handling and storage to ensure the soft landscaping schemes thrive at the end of the project.”

What impact do you expect the Status of World Soil Resources Report will have on current soil issues?

Simon: “Hopefully it will increase the awareness and understanding within the wider public of the importance of soil and in turn put pressure on governments to pass legislation to help protect soil resources, reduce damaging activities and remediate some of the most degraded and contaminated soils.”