Review of methods to assess risk to human health from contaminated land Report.

Introduction
1. The specification sets out the terms of reference for the research project “Review Of Methods To Assess Risk To Human Health From Contaminated Land”. The project will seek to clarify what should constitute unacceptable risk to human health from land contamination in line with the primary legislation (Part IIA of the Environmental Protection Act 1990).
2. Part IIA of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, which came into effect in 2000, requires local authorities to identify any land in their area which poses an unacceptable risk to human health or the environment, with a view to remediation to make the sites suitable for their current use. Determination of a site as “contaminated land” requires an assessment of the risks posed to relevant receptors (people, water, designated ecological systems and property). This process involves a complex scientific assessment of whether potential receptors will be exposed to sufficient levels of the contamination source to cause significant harm or pollution.
3. It has been suggested that the lack of clear and robust guidance contributes to local authorities’ reluctance in determining contaminated land (see SEPA report “Dealing with land contamination in Scotland: A review of progress 2000-2008”). This is hampering the addressing of Scotland’s historical environmental legacy, and may also undermine the Scottish Government‘s policy of promoting the re-use of brownfield land.
The research objectives for this project are as follows:
a. Identify and assess national and international policies and regulations for environmental protection where the threshold for identifying contaminated land is based on assessing whether there are unacceptable risks to human health.
bIdentify best practice and potential case studies.
c. Assess their authority and robustness, and carry out a preliminary appraisal (including regulatory, impact and sustainability considerations) of their applicability; and consider whether they might be used in assessing risks in the SPOSH decision-making process of Part IIA in Scotland.