Abstract

The unique situation of Portsmouth with regards to the historical development of large areas of filled and contaminated land is described together with the methodologies which have been developed over the past decade for identifying, investigating and remediating such lands. This happened under the impetus of both Portsmouth City Council's specific strategy for contaminated land and the increasing volume of environmental guidance which has recently been released prior to the introduction of copious new government legislation.

Three typical case histories are presented which show how different approaches to risk evaluation have evolved during the 1990s and demonstrate how Portsmouth has applied these evolving methodologies in a pragmatic way in an attempt to optimize environmental improvements and financial returns whilst minimizing both public and political risks.