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Potentially Contaminative Land Uses

Substances that may cause contamination can be found on many industrial and commercial sites, as well as areas of historical activity. The presence of contaminants on a site does not necessarily mean there is a risk to human health or other sensitive ‘receptors’, such as controlled waters, crops, fauna and flora.

Leaks and spills associated with chemical storage, oil drums and tanks as well as the use of hardcore material containing contaminants for use in surfacing or as fill material to raise ground levels are common on many different types of sites and may cause localised contamination of the soil or groundwater. There are however, certain activities that are considered to be more likely than others to cause contamination of concern than others.

Planning Policy Statement 23: Planning and Pollution Control [PPS23] produced by the Government in the Planning Regime gives examples of potentially contaminating uses of land and situations whether land may be affected by Contamination as 'Table 2.1'. The Government also published a list of potentially contaminative land uses in May 1991 in the Consultation Paper ‘Public Registers of land which may be contaminated’ [DoE]. The list below includes the industries listed in each.

The Government also published the Department of Environment Industry Profiles, which are available on many of the above industrial activities and provide valuable information on what type of contaminants may be expected. The Industry Profiles are available free of charge from the Environment Agency website .

1. Agriculture

a. Burial of diseased livestock [DoE]
b. Sites of excessive use or spills of pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, sewage sludge & farm waste disposal [PPS23]

2. Extractive Industry

a. Extracting, handling and storage of carbonaceous materials such as coal, ignite, petroleum, natural gas, or bituminous shale (not including the underground workings) [DoE & PPS23]
b. Extracting, handling and storage of ores and their constituents [DoE]
c. Note: Handling includes loading, transport, sorting, forming and packaging, and similar operations. Ore means any mineral, including non-metal bearing, except fuels [DoE]

3. Energy Industry

a. Producing gas from coal, ignite, oil or other carbonaceous material (other than from sewage or other waste), or from mixtures of those materials [DoE & PPS23]
b. Reforming, refining, purifying and odorising natural gas or any product of the processes outlined in 3.a. [DoE & PPS23]
c. Pyrolysis, carbonisation, distillation, liquefaction, partial oxidation, other heat treatment, conversion, purification, or refining of coal, lignite, oil, other carbonaceous material or mixtures and products thereof, otherwise than with a view to gasification or making of charcoal. [DoE & PPS23]
d. A thermal power station (including nuclear power stations and production, enrichment and reprocessing of nuclear fuels) [DoE]
e. Electricity and sub-station [DoE]

4. Production of Metals

Smelters, foundries, steel works, metal processing and finishing works [PPS23]

a. Production, refining or recovery of metals by physical, chemical, thermal or electrolytic or other extracting process. [DoE]
b. Heating, melting or casting metals as part of an intermediate or final manufacturing process (including annealing, tempering or similar processes) [DoE]
c. Cold forming processes (including pressing, rolling, extruding. stamping, forming or similar processes) [DoE]
d. Finishing treatments, including anodising, pickling, coating, and plating or similar processes [DoE]
e. Metals are taken to include metal scrap [DoE]

5. Production of Non-metals & their Products

a. Production or refining of non-metals by treatment of the ore [DoE & PPS23]
b. Production or processing of mineral fibres by treatment of the ore [DoE & PPS23]
c. Cement, time and gypsum manufacture, brickworks and associated processes [DoE & PPS23]

6. Glass Making and Ceramics

a. Manufacture of glass and products based on glass [DoE & PPS23]
b. Manufacture or ceramics and products based on ceramics, including glazes and vitreous enamel [DoE & PPS23]

7. Production and Use of Chemicals

a. Production, refining, recovery or storage of petroleum or petrochemicals, or their by-products, including tar and bitumen processes and manufacture of asphalt [DoE & PPS23]
b. Production, refining and bulk storage or organic or inorganic chemicals, including fertilisers, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, soaps, detergents, cosmetics, toiletries, dyestuffs, inks, paints, fireworks, pyrotechnic materials or recovered chemicals [DoE & PPS23]
c. Production, refining and bulk storage or industrial gases not otherwise covered [DoE & PPS23]

8. Engineering and Manufacturing Processes

a. Manufacture of metal goods, including mechanical engineering industrial plant or steelworks, motor vehicles, ships, railway or tramway vehicles, aircraft, aerospace equipment or similar equipment [DoE & PPS23]
b. Storage, manufacture or testing of explosives, propellants, ordnance, small arms or ammunition [DoE & PPS23]
c. Manufacture and repair or electrical and electronic components and equipment [DoE & PPS23]

9. Food Processing Industry

a. Manufacture of pet foods or animal foodstuffs [DoE & PPS23]
b. Processing of animal by-products (including rendering or maggot farming, but excluding slaughterhouses, butchering) [DoE & PPS23]
c. Other food processing industries and Catering Establishments [PPS23]

10. Paper, Pulp and Printing Industry

a. Making of paper pulp, paper or board, or paper or board products, including printing or de-inking [DoE & PPS23]

11. Timber and Timber Products Industry

a. Chemical treatment and coating of timber and timber products [DoE & PPS23]

12. Textile Industry

a.Tanning, dressing, fell mongering or other process for preparing, treatment or working leather [DoE & PPS23]
b. Fulling, bleaching, dyeing or finishing fabrics or fibres [DoE & PPS23]
c. Manufacture of carpets or other textile floor coverings (including linoleum works) [DoE]

13. Rubber Industry

a. Processing of natural or synthetic rubber (including tyre manufacture or retreading) [DoE & PPS23]

14. Infrastructure

a. Marshalling, dismantling, repairing or maintenance of railway rolling stock [DoE & PPS23]
b. Dismantling, repairing or maintenance or marine vessels, including hover craft [DoE]
c. Dismantling, repairing or maintenance of road transport and road haulage; garages and filling stations [DoE & PPS23]
d. Dismantling, repairing or maintenance of air or space transport systems [DoE]
e. Airports [PPS23]

15. Waste Disposal

a. Treating of sewage or other effluent [DoE] from Sewage works, farms, stables and kennels [PPS23]

b. Storage, treatment or disposal or sludge including sludge from water treatment works [DoE & PPS23]
c. Treating, keeping, depositing or disposal of waste, including scrap (to include infilled canal basins, docks or river courses) [DoE & PPS23]
d. Storage or disposal of radioactive materials [DoE & PPS23]

16. Miscellaneous

a. Premises housing dry cleaning operations [DoE & PPS23]
b. Laboratories for educational or research purposes [DoE] and other uses [PPS23]
c. Demolition of buildings, plant or equipment used for any of the activities in this schedule [DoE]
d. Military/defence related activities [PPS23]
e. Photographic processing [PPS23]
f. Dockyards [PPS23]
g. Burial sites and graveyards [PPS23]
h. Land with naturally occurring radioactivity (including radon), elevated concentrations of metals and other substance
i. Land with Methane & carbon dioxide production and emissions in coal mining areas, wetlands, peat moors or former wetlands.