Course convenor(s):
Stephanie Wray (BSc, PhD, MBA, MIEEM, CEnv, MIoD)

Date: 24/06/2009

Course length: ½ day

Venue: Cresswell Associates,
The Mill, Brimscombe
Port, Stroud, GL5 2QG

Course fee: £85
5% or 10% discount available if 2+ / 4+ courses are booked respectively

Outline:

Ecological Risk Assessment (ERA) provides a new approach to assessing risks to ecosystems from contaminants in soils. The Environment Agency/DEFRA have developed a formal framework for assessing these risks which sets out guidance to help regulators and land owners meet the statutory requirements of Part 2a (Contaminated Land) of the Environmental Protection Act (1990). This course provides the necessary multi-disciplinary approach to ERA through a morning session designed for ecologists that introduces them to the key issues relating to contaminated land, and an afternoon session designed for contaminated land experts that explains how ecosystem function. Attendees will have a chance to meet and talk informally over lunch.

Further information:
Cresswell Associates
The Mill, Brimscombe Port
Stroud, GL5 2QG

T: +44 (0) 1453 731 231
F: +44 (0) 1453 888 797

Download a printable (pdf) copy of this page [here]

Download a booking form:
Word Format | PDF format

Target audience:
Ecological Risk Assessment (ERA) for contaminate soils requires a multi-disciplinary approach, combining in-depth knowledge of the functioning of ecosystems, habitats and species with skilled analytical techniques for measuring contaminated soils.  This course aims to provide an introduction to the issues of contaminated soils for [Local Authority] ecologists, and introduction to the key ecological issues for [Local Authority] contaminated land experts, to help both groups understand and comply with a formal ERA framework introduced by the Environment Agency and DEFRA.

Aims:

To provide:

• an introduction to the Environment Agency/DEFRA framework for assessing risks to ecosystems from contaminants in soils
• background information for ecologists on the ecological risks posed by contaminants in soils, so they can understand and apply the framework
• background information for contaminated soils experts on ecosystem functioning, so they can understand and apply the framework

To demonstrate:

how a multi-disciplinary approach to ERA is essential, through examination of case studies

Objectives:

At the end of the course you should be able to: 

• describe the key processes of the ERA framework

produce the necessary outputs from the framework that planning authorities will require as part of planning applications or reviews of permits and licences

Course content:

Lectures:

• Morning session: ERA and contaminated soils for ecologists
• Afternoon session: ERA and ecology for contaminated soils experts

Informal lunchtime session:

A chance for ecologists and contaminated soils experts to discuss issues