Focus on land reclamation technology

Experts in the reclamation of contaminated land will converge on the University this week to debate the challenges faced by the industry.

The event on July 4 has been organised by the University’s Clean Environment Management Centre (CLEMANCE), acknowledged as one of the leaders in the field.

The Contaminated Land Forum Joint Summer ‘08 Conference will be staged at the Centuria Building and the theme is Sustainable Remediation and Regeneration.

The keynote speaker is Alasdair Grainger, Policy Advisor for Sustainable Construction (Department for Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform). Other speakers will include Philippa Scott, Shell Global Solutions (UK) on behalf of the CL:ARE Sustainable Remediation Forum.

The conference will also include site visits, including to the brownfield areas on Teesside being regenerated using grasses and trees to clean up the soil, as part of Clemance's BioReGen Life Project brownfield biomass field trial.

The backers of the conference include the Technology Transfer Club (ETTC), the National Industrial Symbiosis Programme North East (NISP-NE) and the British Society of Soil Science.

Dr Richard Lord, CLEMANCE’S Programme Leader in Contaminated Land and Water, said: ‘This will be an important event because there is a growing emphasis nationally on the need to bring brownfield sites back to life using sustainable methods.

‘With the commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the construction industry is increasingly looking at the carbon footprint of remediation options and other measures of sustainability at the design stage. The conference will examine the latest advances in best practice.’

For more information, or to book a place at the free event, contact Jenna Meehan on 01642 384418.

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