Report: Management of contaminated soils in South Australia (2013)

Executive summary: In South Australia, the redevelopment of contaminated land and the requirement for the reuse of remediated soils is likely to become more prevalent, when considering the development strategy for metropolitan Adelaide and the subsequent land pressures, in addition to other drivers for site clean-up. As with several of the other Australian states, South Australia has historically maintained a prevalence towards the excavation and disposal of contaminated soils to landfill (commonly referred to as dig and dump‘) when remediating contaminated sites. The remediation of low level and high level contaminated soil for reuse is a priority for action in South Australia (South Australia‘s Waste Strategy 2011-15). Accordingly, Zero Waste SA (ZWSA) has committed to developing a Contaminated Soils Strategy (Business Plan 2011-12). The content of this report provides background and contextual information on soil contamination, its management, and the impediments to sustainable contaminated soil management. The aim of this study is to assist in the development of the Contaminated Soils Strategy, via identification of relevant and feasible soil remediation techniques available in South Australia, assessment of current (and previous) remediation industry as well as research and development capabilities in the State and identifying the obstacles in terms of sustainable soil management (i.e. why the prevalence towards dig and dump‘?). The assessment was largely based on the consultation of those stakeholders in South Australia that are associated with contaminated site clean-up. Within the assessment of soil remediation techniques, high level costs and carbon footprint liabilities were also included, in order to identify optimum remediation techniques relevant to South Australia, in terms of cost, feasibility and sustainability. Based on the general environment of South Australia, and the types and quantities of contaminants likely to be encountered during site regeneration, there would appear to be sufficient capabilities within the South Australian market currently with respect to appropriate alternative soil remediation techniques to dig and dump‘.