If you are performing a construction, landscaping or general property development project, you might need to dispose of excavated waste. This process is particularly important when dealing with steep and uneven land. However, you cannot excavate any material from your land and put it in bins for direct disposal. There are regulations in place to prevent poor disposal of contaminated soil or other unsuitable materials. If you would like to hire excavated waste bins, the material to be disposed must be categorised as VENM or Virgin Excavated Natural Material. Here are some guidelines to help you know whether you can classify your excavated waste as VENM or not.
Consider Past Human Activities
Excavated materials cannot be classified as VENM if the area from which the waste was obtained is contaminated. Contaminated soil refers to natural material which has been polluted by chemicals or residues produced as a result of agricultural, commercial, mining and industrial processes. Therefore, you should evaluate the past human activities carried out on your property. If the previous land use could have caused pollution, you must have the soil examined for specific chemicals and residues before you can classify it as VENM. Land can become contaminated indirectly through ground water and settling industrial particles. Therefore, you should evaluate your surroundings in addition to the actual property.
Test the Soil for Sulfidic Compounds
If you want to dispose of excavated material as VENM in garbage bins, you must make certain that the waste is free of sulfidic soil or ore. Acid sulphate soil or excavated material is harmful, so it cannot be classified as clean waste. In general, this type of soil causes loss of vegetation and has a negative impact when released near aquatic ecosystems. Also, if the earth is used in an area which has built structures, the acid will cause accelerated deterioration of concrete and steel. You can check whether your land has a high probability of containing acid sulphate soil on your regional risk maps.
Review the Asbestos Risks
Your land could contain asbestos even if there were no human activities in the area connected to the material. In simple terms, the asbestos could be naturally occurring. Asbestos-containing soil has dangerous fibres which are associated with conditions such as asbestosis and lung cancer when inhaled. You should check the risk maps in your region to determine if there is asbestos, or you can collect samples for laboratory analysis.
Finally, VENM must never contain any other type of waste material. To learn more, contact an excavation service in your area.
Share29 August 2017
Tired of your stinky bin? Want to hire a skip but not sure which size you need? Interested in finding tips related to loading skips safely and effectively? If so, these blog posts are designed for you. My name is Ben, and here, I want to write all about skips, home improvement, and maybe even a few other topics. I've always loved to write, but now, I thinking of launching a writing career. I thought creating a portfolio would be a great place to start, so I am creating this blog for that purpose. As a former restaurant manager and an employee of a property management company, I have handled copious bags of rubbish and cleaned out rentals full of rubbish as well. I want to share those experiences and some helpful tips. Thank you for reading.