Contaminated Land
Our Responsibilities
When land has become contaminated there can be serious
consequences for people's health and the environment; even many
years later.
The Environmental Protection Act 1990 (Part IIA)
requires South Lakeland District Council to identify
contaminated land within its District. Where land is deemed to be
contaminated South Lakeland District Council will seek out the
appropriate persons (present and historical) to clean up the land
to ensure it is suitable for its present use.
A strategy has been produced to document how
this process will be carried out:
A leaflet, 'Contaminated Land - Your Responsibilities',
is available from the
Environmental Protection Group. This
provides a brief introduction to the contaminated land regime and
lists further documentation which should be considered when
carrying out contaminated land assessments.
What is Contaminated Land?
Contaminated land is defined as:
Any land which appears to the Local Authority in whose area it
is situated to be in such a condition by reason of substances in,
on or under the land that:
a) significant harm is being caused or
there is a significant possibility of such
harm being caused or:
b) pollution of controlled waters is being,
or is likely to be, caused.
The definition of 'Harm' is "harm to the health of living
organisms or other interference with the ecological systems of
which they form part and, in the case of man, includes harm to his
property".
Controlled waters embrace territorial and coastal waters,
inland fresh waters and groundwater.
For land to be contaminated it must have all
of the following:
- A Source e.g. organic compounds from an oil
spill.
- A Pathway e.g. ingestion of soil or water or
crops grown on the soil, inhalation of organic vapours.
- A Receiver e.g. organisms
in the soil and water. Users of the soil and water
This is known as a Pollution Linkage
Further Information
To make a request for this service online, please use our
online form.