For project examples related
to this capability.

Contaminated Land

Tonkin & Taylor has provided specialist services related to contaminated land management for over 40 years, investigating contaminant issues and designing and implementing solutions for a range of municipal and industrial clients. Over the past 15 years we have been involved in significant research, practical trials and development of protocols for investigation, sampling, and remediation and have carried out many of the more significant and innovative contaminated site and groundwater remediation projects in New Zealand during that time. The company continues to stay at the forefront of technology and implementation in this important area.

Project Experience
T&T has extensive New Zealand and overseas experience in all areas of soil and groundwater contamination chemistry and processes. We have particular strength in the areas of site investigation, risk assessment and remediation. Our offshore experience includes a wide range of industry types and soil and groundwater contaminants.

Pre-Purchase Assessments
T&T offers a wide range of pre-purchase or sale assessment and audit services. Our internationally respected team of auditors and site contamination specialists offers pre-purchase/sale inspections to identify potential site contamination and to assess the significance of any contamination in terms of financial cost and constraints on site use.

Examples of recent pre-purchase or pre-sale site contamination assessments include:

• A&G Price (Thames)
• Masport Industries (Auckland)
• NZ Insulations (Christchurch and Temuka)
• Methven Tapmakers (Dunedin)
• Former NECAL/ESR Laboratories
• Siemens / United Networks Ltd (North Island)
• Numerous residential subdivisions (NZ wide)
• Numerous petrol station and truck stop sites (NZ Wide)
• Ajax Industries, Mt Wellington
• Temptation Chocolates Ltd, Henderson
• NZ Post Auckland Regional Mail facility
• Hanimex NZ, Albany
• Coates NZ, Christchurch
• GGH Plant, Manukau
• Ford Vehicle Assembly Plants, Wiri and Penrose.

Site Investigations
T&T has undertaken several hundred site assessments including preliminary inspections and detailed investigations, often followed by remedial works design, consent applications and monitoring. We have experience with a wide range of contaminant types, including petroleum hydrocarbons, chlorinated and oxygenated solvents, heavy metals, PCBs, PCP and other timber treatment chemicals, pesticides and herbicides.

Assessments
T&T has leading edge capability in environmental risk assessments, and our specialist staff has experience with a wide range of risk assessment work, from simple qualitative evaluations, through cost-effective semi-quantitative and quantitative techniques, to extensive quantitative modelling. Our staff are trained in the use of the latest USEPA models, and are experienced in applying these techniques to real problems to achieve useful and applicable results.

Representative Risk Assessment Projects

• Quantitative human health and environmental risk assessments for a variety of sites, including pesticide manufacturing and storage sites, bitumen plants, gasworks sites and landfills
• Qualitative risk assessment of a large number of timber treatment, gasworks, service station, landfill and pesticide disposal sites within New Zealand
• Semi-quantitative risk assessment of the Mobil Oil (NZ) Ltd Seaview Terminal, New Zealand and the Caltex Oil (NZ) Ltd Timaru Terminal, New Zealand
• Government (FRST) funded research project to develop New Zealand specific environmental risk assessment modelling tools
• Semi-quantitative risk assessment of a wide range of contaminated sites in Marlborough District.

Policy and Management
We have extensive experience in preparing site monitoring, management and/or contingency plans for site owners and occupiers for site development projects and to satisfy resource consent requirements. On the 'other side of the fence' our extensive experience with practical contaminated site management, means we can assist regulatory authorities to develop policies and practical implementation strategies to manage contaminated site issues. Our staff includes former Council personnel who have experience in setting up and administering contaminated site registers.

Recent policy and management projects include:

• Marlborough District Council, Contaminated Site Register Database and Code of Practice
  
• Wellington Regional Council, Technical Manual and Management Plan
• Northland Regional Council, Regional Management Plan (qualitative risk assessment and action plan)
  
• Otago Regional Council, Contaminated Site Assessment and Management Plan
  
• Auckland City Council, Contaminated Site Ranking
  
• Taranaki Regional Council, Contaminated Site Database and Management Strategy
  
• Waikato District Council: Contaminated Site Screening Guide.

Remediation
T&T has completed a large number of successful remediation projects, including physical cleanup works, cleanup validation, post-cleanup monitoring and management and regulatory "sign off". We are New Zealand's market leaders in brownfields redevelopment works.

Recent remediation projects include:

• Remediation of over 30 sites contaminated by timber treatment chemicals (CCA, Boron and PCP) for industrial and residential uses
  
• Redevelopment of eight former gasworks sites in New Zealand, including the prestigious Beaumont Quarter development on the former Auckland gasworks site
  
• Design and implementation of groundwater and product recovery systems, airsparge and vapour extraction systems, landfarms, water treatment systems and former service stations and oil terminals
  
• Remediation of a range of small industry sites for commercial and residential use, including metal working, chemical storage and manufacturing, coatings and resins, and automotive industries
  
• One-off remediation programme for a number of Carter Holt Harvey contaminated sites, including the construction of two hazardous waste containment cells
  
• The assessment and remediation of nine childcare centres in Auckland for the Auckland City Council.

For more information contact Tony Cussins.

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