Contaminated Land - The Art of a good Conceptual Site Model

Contaminated Land - The Art of a good Conceptual Site Model

Every development site with a potential for contamination has a Conceptual Site Model (CSM) - right? 

Well the new International Standard ISO CD 21365 Soil quality – Conceptual site models for potentially contaminated sites should be released in 2018 and is dedicated to this key part of every site assessment.

Check out my article on wsp.com for more discussion. 

In my view, the CSM explains contaminant sources and their potential for risk to receptors via various pathways to professionals, stakeholders and most importantly - clients. I have put forward a 'Top 3' aims for an excellent CSM.

  1. Clear Communications of Risk - for me, it is a picture that says a thousand words. A picture is easily sketched and conveys the source-pathway-receptor linkages clearly - no Art GCSE is required.
  2. Context - No two sites are the same, operational industrial sites are different from legacy derelict sites.
  3. Accuracy - With todays' tools, robust factual information should be a given.

A good CSM ensures that subsequent site decisions are the right ones, avoiding blind alleys, lost opportunities, wasted time and money.

Colin Jowett

Technical Director - Environmental Services

7y

Its quite a nice picture but it isn't a site specific CSM in my opinion. What the picture shows is a generic model of anthropogenic pollution and some pathways and receptors. It provides me no information with which i can make a reliable decision about the scenarios presented or the varying risks to site users or end users across the scenario. What are the dust generation rates, leaching rates, deposition rates etc? What are the rates of flow within the groundwater? Do we know? What are the concentration of contaminants in either the dust, the gas or the fluids shown? I also prefer picture to help explain a dynamic but contamination is complex, if not complicated. A good picture can support a good CSM, to be sure, but meaningful data for appropriate risk assessments is often not so easily reducible. I prefer risk assessment tables that outline a value of concentration and define a risk based on probable contact of receptors.

Graham Aveyard

Experienced Environmental Protection Regulator

7y

I'd love to run your cartoon CSM suggestion in parallel with my ‘Battleships’ approach to Site Investigation design 😃

Ruth Willcox

Land Contamination Management Advisor and Volunteer in the local marine world. Environmental Scientist. Holistic views and solutions.

7y

Nice graphics which, if accompanied by a tabulated model or similar written description would probably satisfy regulators.

Like
Reply
Bill Butler

Partner at NewFields

7y

Graphical representations are the best way to communicate the CSM, sources, migration pathways, and receptors to develop robust technical basis for the desired outcome that makes it easier for the stakeholders to understand the situation and accept the remedial approach. Of course it needs to be technically correct and backed up by facts and data. Lengthy text in a report, even though many regulators still want it, is not what people want to read and it is more difficult to communicate a complex site in this manner. Need to find more good graphics people who can prepare these CSM representations. Please contact me if you have experience and are looking for a change. :-)

Ana O

CEO / Co-Founder @ Land Insight | Environmental Data & Insights

7y
Like
Reply

To view or add a comment, sign in

Insights from the community

Others also viewed

Explore topics