Fill

If the wrong fill is brought in or if contaminated soil is moved around it can result in very expensive remediation.

Fill can be thought of as two types, soil brought onto the site - imported fill, and fill generated by digging up one part of the site and moving it to another place on the same site - site fill.

The guidelines for what is an acceptable level of contaminants on a site (Contaminated Site Guidelines) and the guidelines for disposal of waste, including contaminated soil (Non Liquid Waste Guidelines), are quite different from and independent of one another.

The guidelines for non liquid waste (NLW) are designed to assist those generating, storing, transporting, treating or disposing of waste (including contaminated soil). Under the NLW Guidelines virgin excavated natural material, building & demolition waste, asphalt waste and soil with a moderate level of contamination are all classified as Inert Waste.

Under the NLW Guidelines, except for very large quantities, material that passes as Inert Waste may be disposed of to virtually any site which will accept it.

The criteria for contaminant levels for a particular site under the Contaminated Sites Guidelines may be more stringent than the NLW Guidelines for Inert Waste. Consequently importing fill classified as Inert waste may contaminate the site. Remediation can be costly and time consuming

The soil you are supplied may not be the same as that for which you have been given an analysis certificate. The biggest fill problem in which we’ve been involved was where an analysis certificate was supplied to our client but the mountain of fill was very contaminated and did not match the certificate.

For site fill, contaminated material, if moved around the site, tends to get smeared out and contaminate the whole site. Additional expensive remediation and/or validation may result. It is not allowable to mix contaminated soil with uncontaminated soil in order to dilute out the pollution.

WHAT SHOULD YOU DO ?

• Check on the analysis of imported fill before you agree to take it.
• Check out the site where the fill comes from and its history.
• Be very careful moving contaminated soil around on a site.
• Ensure run off controls are installed around soil stockpiles.

HOW CAN NEW ENVIRONMENT HELP ?

• Make sure the analysis certificate is for the material you are receiving.

New Environment can assist in sampling, analysis, checks on origin, advice, overall project management and preparation of sediment and erosion control run off plans.