Pollution Control - Contaminated Land
Contaminated land is land that has within it,
or on or under its surface, substances that may pose a risk of
significant harm to human health or to the wider environment,
including water resources, the local ecosystem and built structures
Contamination in land largely arises as a result of industrial
activities or past waste disposal practices.
Part IIA of the Environmental Protection Act
1990, inserted by Section 57 of the Environment Act 1995 places a
duty on Local Authorities to inspect their area for contaminated
land.
Section 78A(2) defines contaminated land for
the purpose of Part IIA 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"
Thus land may be polluted but unless it
presents a significant risk to a receptor such as a human being or
an aquifer used to supply water the mere presence of a former
contaminative use does not require immediate action by the Local
Authority.
Contaminated Land Public Register
The information stored on the formal
register would be that relating to regulatory action and
remediation. The contents are specified at length in the Statutory
Instrument 2000 No. 227 (Contaminated Land (England) Regulations
2000) and include the following:
- Remediation Notices
- Remediation Declarations/Statements
- Appeals against Notices
- Designation of special sites
- Notification of Claimed Remediation
- Convictions for Offences
At present however no land within the borough
of Melton has been designated as contaminated land and consequently
our public register has no entries.
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