Contaminated land assessment is an iterative process. In order to comply with current guidance and Regulatory requirements, a Phase I Desk Study Report or Preliminary Risk Assessment as it is sometimes known, should be produced initially as the first step of the process, prior to the conduct of any intrusive site investigation. The aim of the Desk Study is to develop a conceptual site model and identify any potential sources of contamination of concern for risk assessment purposes.
A Desk Study assessment includes appraisal of information collected from a range of data sources including;
- Site walkover by an Environmental Consultant
- Historical maps and environmental data
- Aerial photos
- Geological and hydrogeological maps
- Previous reports
- Petroleum officer records
- Local Authority or Environment Agency searches
In addition to complying with the recognised contaminated land assessment process, a professional Desk Study Report should be produced prior to the conduct of any intrusive site investigation to help inform a more efficient and cost effective site investigation and avoid wasting both time and money on inappropriate scopes of assessment.