What are the Sustainability Benefits of the Remediation of Contaminated Sites?

Most cities have many unused and under-utilised sites and land parcels within the city centre and inner suburbs.   These sites, while being unsightly, are often contaminated and are also potentially harmful to the health of neighbours and other environmental receptors.  Unused land also results in “dead areas” within cities, increases inefficiencies and encourages urban sprawl at the city margins. 

Remediation and development of unused contaminated sites, when integrated with appropriate town planning, can create efficiencies by increasing densities, increasing public transport use, providing public open space and development of energy efficient buildings.  Remediation of these sites has an overall net benefit of improving the visual aesthetics while protecting human health and the environment.

Will Ellis is an Environmental Engineer at Potentia Environment and specialises in the remediation and redevelopment of contaminated sites.  Potentia Environment has a liability transfer model that allows corporate entities to sell their legacy sites with limited future risk.  Will is also a board member of Engineers Australia - College of Environment, which has been tasked with developing a sustainability training program that will become part of the requirements for becoming a Chartered Professional Engineer. This training is aimed at enabling every engineer to bring aspects of sustainable thinking into design and implementation of projects across all disciplines.

This presentation will provide examples of how integrating aspects of sustainability into remediation projects can achieve better outcomes for society and the environment.

Presenter

Will Ellis is an Environmental Engineer who specialises in taking a commercial view to the assessment, remediation and redevelopment of contaminated land.  Will has over 20 years’ experience in this industry in a variety of different geographies.  Will provides sound remediation and management solutions that focus on an approach that is sustainable and appropriate for individual sites, site portfolios and situations with the aim of the realizing the best possible environmental, social and financial outcome. Importantly, this is done with a clear understanding of the current and potential future site use. This is achieved by taking an ownership stake in the subject property along with the associated environmental liabilities and solving the problems to realise solutions. Will’s career as an Environmental Engineer has incorporated technical work as well as team management and businesses management but most importantly delivering technically sound solutions for problems. Will’s current role is Managing Director of Potentia Environment, a company specialising in the repurposing and development of contaminated sites.

This event is kindly sponsored by: