16.34 Contaminated Land

Due to a mixture of historic industrial land-uses and land reclamation, there are a number of locations in the city where contaminated land could cause an environmental problem. Much of this contaminated land lies within the Docklands area where there is a range of potential contaminants within the fill material used in land reclamation, such as builders’ rubble, ash and possibly hazardous waste.

Any contaminated land will require appropriate remediation prior to redevelopment, including, in some instances, removal of material from a site which may require a licence under the Waste Management Act, 1996, as amended, prior to the undertaking of such works.

In addition, Appendix 12 contains the list of SEVESO III sites where the Health and Safety Authority must be contacted by the

planning authority for technical advice prior to a decision being made on proposed development in the vicinity of these sites. In all cases involving contaminated land, it is the policy of Dublin City Council to require the highest standards of remediation and where appropriate to consult with the Environmental Protection Agency and other relevant bodies to resolve the environmental pollution created by contaminated land. Where the previous history of a site suggests that contamination may have occurred, developers will be responsible for the following: ­

  • Undertaking a detailed site investigation, soil testing and analysis to establish whether contamination has occurred ­
  • Providing a detailed written report of investigation and assessment (including recommendations for treating the affected ground) to Dublin City Council ­
  • The decontamination of sites prior to new development works taking place, and the prohibition of development until Dublin City Council is satisfied that the affected ground has been satisfactorily treated ­
  • Decontamination activities should ensure that there is no off-site migration of contaminants via run-off, soils or groundwater.

Furthermore, Appropriate Assessment (AA), or screening for AA, may also be required.