Asbestos Contaminated Soil

Asbestos-contaminated land is often a result of historical demolition or construction work; this therefore means that every asbestos type could have contaminated the soil. One issue which arises from asbestos contaminated land is the condition that the asbestos within the soil can be found in, it is more often than not found to be damaged, resulting in it being in very small fragments or debris. Often the contaminated soil has been left for a very long period of time, resulting in further degradation of the asbestos materials within the soil.

When carrying out any work with asbestos, it must comply with the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012. These regulations do not explain contaminated land/soil fully. We use a guide created by the CL:AIRE group called CAR-SOIL. The Claire group are a UK charity who are in partnership with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). They are committed to providing a valuable service for all those who are involved in sustainable land reuse. The CAR-SOIL guide explains how to assess and manage the risks which arise from asbestos contaminated land, soil and waste.

On the whole there are two options for dealing with asbestos contaminated land/soil.

1. If testing/surveying has been carried out and it has been identified that the asbestos has been found on the sites surface in larger fragments which are visible, then handpicking of these visible fragments by fully trained asbestos operatives can be carried out (asbestos litter picking). When asbestos materials are found, they will be collected in suitable waste disposal bags and disposed of at a licensed landfill site.
2. If asbestos contamination of the soil is below surface level, then excavation needs to take place. This is where full removal of all of the soil takes place. This often results in tonnes of soil being disposed of at a licensed landfill site.

https://claire.co.uk/projects-and-initiatives/asbestos-in-soil