Excavation

It is often necessary to excavate and landfill contaminated soils due to the presence of gross contamination (such as coal tars, oils/hydrocarbons or heavy metals), tight timescales or site-specific constraints. With the end of co-disposal the correct testing and classification of waste spoil (as hazardous, non-hazardous or inert) has become a very important issue, requiring a specialist to plan and execute traditional ‘dig & dump’ operations.

Ecologia holds a waste carrier licence and is able to supervise and coordinate excavation programmes of contaminated soil requiring disposal to landfill. We can make sure that the project conforms to the hazardous waste regulations, and ensure that adequate testing is undertaken in order to provide the required waste classification.

Excavation operations require the careful assessment as well as experienced project management together with post-remediation validation to ensure that the remediation objectives are successfully achieved within budget and on time. In particular, the sorting and testing of spoil to determine its true classification, and what treatment may affect its re-use/disposal, has become a necessary activity on site. This can lead not only to a reduced volume of waste going off-site, but also to assigning volumes/loads to the appropriate landfill.

As the cost ‘difference’ between hazardous & non-hazardous waste disposal begins to be evident under the Landfill Directive, then the pre-treatment and modification of soil condition will mean that on-site methods such as ex-situ bioremediation or stabilisation will become cost-effective. Ecologia are experienced in such treatment options, and are able to provide the technical & risk assessment skills needed in regulatory discussions & approvals.