News

DEC UK: the Belgians are coming

DEC is part of a joint venture that has been awarded the next stage of the remediation of one of Europes most contaminated sites, the former Avenue Coking Works in Chesterfield, Derbyshire. The contract has a value of over 100 million euros, and means an important breakthrough for DEC in the United Kingdom.

A massive clean-up operation to transform the former Avenue Coking Works near Chesterfield, Derbyshire, is set to start following the appointment of a remediation contractor. VSD Avenue has today been named as the company that will design the most effective processes to treat gross contamination of the land following decades of coke and chemical production.

The appointment means that work, backed by £104.5 million Government funding and managed by English Partnerships through its National Coalfields Programme, can begin to regenerate The Avenue into a nature reserve and community amenity, with opportunities for new housing and employment. The site is owned and managed by East Midlands Development Agency (emda).

The appointment of VSD Avenue as preferred contractor marks the start of a programme to use highly innovative solutions for contaminated land reclamation and will be the largest application in Europe of a combination of emerging remediation technologies.

VSD Avenue is a fully integrated joint venture comprising Deme Environmental Contractors (DEC NV), Volker Stevin Ltd and Sita Remediation. The consortium brings together companies from the UK and Europe with skills in specialist contaminated land remediation techniques, civil engineering and project management of major projects. VSD Avenue is also supported by environmental consultants Entec.

Over the next year, VSD Avenue will develop the methodology to meet the agreed treatment standards, cost and timescales for the remediation work. Once this has been successfully demonstrated, VSD Avenue will be appointed as contractor for the work which will begin in April 2007.

A combination of treatment technologies will be used depending on the level and depth of contamination across the site. Some materials such as metals can simply be screened or washed out of the soil, whilst other compounds need to be biologically or chemically degraded under controlled conditions. Some contaminants can only be thermally treated by heating to temperatures high enough to break them down into less harmful constituents.

Neil Mortimer, Head of Coalfields for English Partnerships, said: “This appointment signifies pioneering work that will bring new levels of expertise to brownfield land remediation, which will be shared internationally. I am delighted that the National Coalfields Programme and emda’s management of the site has driven forward the start of remediation at Avenue and that the local community will benefit from the end product - a cleaner, safer environment.”

Jeff Moore, Chief Executive of emda, said: “The former coalfields of North Derbyshire and North Nottinghamshire have been severely affected by colliery closures and the contaminated land left behind. One of our main tasks is to support the regeneration of these areas through major projects such as this.”

The innovative remediation strategy has been approved by the Environment Agency which will be jointly developing flood alleviation measures at The Avenue with emda.

Paul Tullett, the Environment Agency’s Area Manager, said: "We are very pleased to be part of this groundbreaking scheme. The Avenue site has been the cause of serious pollution for years, with coal tars seeping into the River Rother. This scheme will see an end to this pollution, and leave in its place a valuable asset for local people and wildlife. Part of the site will be designed to protect approximately 800 properties in Chesterfield from flooding, and will also make open space available for recreational facilities and wildlife habitats."

Guy Pomphrey, a board member of VSD Avenue, said: "We recognise the importance of this work to the environment and the local community and we are committed to utilising the best technologies and skills in the UK and Europe to bring The Avenue back into beneficial use."

Despite its grossly contaminated nature, The Avenue is home to several rare species of flora and fauna. emda is working closely with the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust to develop detailed plans to protect these species and their habitats while works are underway. Additionally new areas of scarce wetland habitat will be created to support these species into the future.

Steve Price, Senior Reserves Officer of the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust said: “To be involved, from the beginning, in a major project such as this will help ensure that the end result is of lasting benefit both to the important wildlife of the site and to the local community.”

For more information on the project, click here.

August 2007