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As part of a series of posts on common contaminants that ERS deals with, today we are looking at chromium - which unfortunately is a fairly common contaminant of soils found around the UK in areas with historical Chromium works. What is Chromium Chromium is an abundant metal that man has harnessed for hundreds of years as a pigment, a wood preservative, as a fixing agent in tanning and photography, and in metallurgy. It exists in a variety of oxidation states but hexavalent chromium (CrVI) is particularly problematic in the environment as it is soluble and toxic. From a human health perspective it can cause cancer, asthma, and tissue damage, including to unborn children, through inhalation, ingestion and direct contact. Perhaps most famously, chromium was the contaminant of concern in Julia Roberts’ Oscar winning performance as Erin Brockovich in the film of the same name – a real-life story about a legal clerk who takes on a large energy corporation (Pacific Gas and Electric Company) regarding its culpability for the Hinkley groundwater contamination incident. ERS’ involvement in chromium also stretches across the UK and into North America, on sites ranging from chrome plating works to timber treatment works, applying techniques from bioremediation to chemical reduction. However, much of our experience has been gained close to our Head Office in Glasgow. Chromium’s Legacy in Glasgow The Shawfield Chemical Works was established in 1920 by James and John White on the site of their father’s failed soap business and became the world’s largest producer of chromium salts for much of its 150 year lifespan. Working conditions at the site were notoriously poor and the health effects on workers extensive, with many losing their nasal septum creating a whistling noise, earning them the nickname “White’s Canaries”. Safety regulations and workers’ health concerns were ignored, prompting then journalist, and later Labour Party founder and leader, Keir Hardie to publish a scathing attack on John Campbell White (now Lord Overtoun), but even this had little effect. The legacy of the works affects Rutherglen and the wider Glasgow area. Millions of tonnes of Chromium Ore Processing Residue (COPR) were deposited locally, but contamination from the works can be found from Glasgow Airport all the way to Carnbroe. Much of it was dumped up to 10metres deep in exhausted clay pits, but some was also used as a construction material before the dangers of the product were known. It was even used as a salt replacement for de-icing pavements! In the 1990s the local authorities investigated many of the worst sites with high concentrations of CrVI in soils and in the groundwater affecting many burns and rivers, including the Clyde itself. Since then millions have been spent on investigation and remediation through both public and private sector investment. However, many of these problems areas remain and cause public concern, which is still being reported in the news today, such as this incident where SEPA was asked to investigate a yellow burn in Glasgow, a typical indication of chromium water contamination. ERS maintains an archive of old newspaper articles of contamination incidents, included one where we undertook emergency remediation works when COPR was discovered at the Hampden Park stadium in terracing and under the pitch. This was just before the 2002 Champions League final was due to be played there! Hampden Rocked by Toxic Scare No 2 (Glaswegian, 28/03/2002) Council Asked to Foot £20,000 Bill (Evening Times, 24/03/2002) Champions League Final Hit by Toxic Waste Scare (Record, 15/03/2002) Toxic Dump Threat to Hampden's Euro Final (Sun, 15/03/2002) Clean Up This Toxic Site (The Extra, 28/06/2001) Cancer Poison in Our Water (NOTW, 27/08/2000) Militant Mum's Chain Reaction (Glaswegian, 22/01/1998) Danger in the Sand (Glaswegian, 26/06/1997) Toxic River (Glaswegian, 19/06/1997) ERS’ Experience of Remediating COPR Contamination ERS has a wide range of experience in treating COPR and CrVI contamination of soil and water on many different types of sites. We have also won industry awards for our innovative approaches to projects involving bioremediation, chemical reduction and stabilisation of COPR. Some of our full-scale remediation projects include: Carnbroe, North Lanarkshire: chemical reduction for disposal – Carnbroe Boughton, Northamptonshire: remediation of of impacted soils and groundwater chrome plating works by chemical reduction, pump and treat and in-situ groundwater treatment Rocker, Montana, US: ferrous sulphate remediation of Copper/ Chrome/ Arsenic timber treatment chemicals Oatlands, Glasgow: chemical reduction at an ERS soil treatment centre for disposal Lesser Hampden, Glasgow: emergency disposal from before the 2002 Champions League Final Falkirk, Stirlingshire: groundwater treatment by chemical reduction and dissolved air flotation providing a 99.9% improvement; system (Brownfield Briefing Awards Winner) M74 road extension, Glasgow: stabilization of 100,000 tonnes of chromium impacted soils (Brownfield Briefing Awards Winner) This experience and understanding of working with CrVI has enabled ERS to safely undertake a wide variety of other work activities in and around the COPR affected sites, including: Extensive site investigations for many developments including the M74 road extension Detailed hydrogeological investigations including full scale pump tests with treatment of the abstracted groundwater Geotechnical characterization and stabilization testing, both in the field and in our laboratory You can read more about our COPR/CrVI remediation projects on our Projects page, including a case study of the M74 COPR soil stabilisation project.

This year for Invasive Species Week we are looking at some of the less well-known invasive species which are spreading across the UK. Many people have heard of more common invasive weeds like Japanese Knotweed or Himalayan Balsam, but what about Few Flowered Leek or Curly Waterweed? There are many other “Schedule 9” plants spreading in the wild and affecting native flora and fauna across the UK. Here are some our Invasive Weeds Team wanted to discuss: Few Flowered Leek Few Flowered Leek (also known as Few Flowered Garlic) is a Central Asian wild onion, now found in woodland areas, riverbanks, and hedgerows across the UK. It flowers March through April and produces multiple bulbils which are easily spread by grazing animals and human activity, or transported by water. It’s fast-growing and out-competes native species, such as native wild garlic which it closely resembles. It is best treated in Spring before bulbils (bulb shaped buds) are produced. It can be challenging to remediate, however a site-specific management plan including appropriate bio security measures can offer good results. American Skunk Cabbage Native to North America as its name suggests, American Skunk Cabbage was introduced to the UK in the 20th century. It’s easily identified by its rosette of large leathery green leaves and yellow hood-like flowers, which have a strong skunk odour, giving the plant its name. American Skunk Cabbage forms dense stands in wet, muddy areas surrounding ponds, streams and marshy woodlands, and can outcompete many of the sensitive native species growing in these habitats. There are a range of remediation options available to treat American Skunk Cabbage, including options for environmentally sensitive area. Giant Rhubarb Giant Rhubarb is a large, clump-forming, long living plant native to South America. It is commonly found growing in damp or wet areas, and within shaded areas along the edges of ponds, streams and drains. Its 2m wide umbrella-like leaves block out sunlight which can prevent native plants from growing. In Autumn, the cone-like flowers produce an amazing 250,000 seeds! Then when the plants then die back in winter, it can make the exposed riverbanks vulnerable to erosion. Giant Rhubarb can be treated using conventional methods, but in environmentally sensitive locations, removing the seed heads is an alternative. Similar to Japanese Knotweed, it has rhizomes which can regenerate into a new plant so care needs to be taken with contaminated soil to avoid spreading it. Rhododendron Ponticum Rhododendron ponticum has two geographically distinct native ranges south of the Black Sea and in Spain/Portugal. It was introduced to the UK as a decorative plant in the 18th century and today it is found across the UK on moorlands, woodlands, hillsides and riverbanks, as well as in gardens and parks. It has leathery, dull green leaves and light, woody stems. Mature plants can reach 8m in height and produce pink to purple clumps of flowers between May and June. It produces large quantities of viable seeds which then form a persistent seed bank for many years. It can be treated by physically removing the plants and treating remaining stumps, but other treatment options are available for harder to reach areas. An ongoing management plan is important until the seed bank is depleted. Curly Waterweed Curly waterweed is an aquatic plant originating from South America. Despite being listed as an invasive plant, it is still widely sold in aquatics shops across the UK as an oxygenating pond plant – although in areas of dense growth it can actually reduce oxygen levels and harm aquatic life. It has strongly curved dark green leaves in a spiral arrangement and can grow in water up to 6m deep. It reproduces by fragmentation – detached stems sink and root, establishing new growth. It grows in dense strands in slow moving water bodies like canals, impeding water flow and blocking out light, outcompeting native plants. Remediation can be difficult, due to the way the plant spreads by fragmentation and the negative effect herbicide control might have on native plants. However, it can be controlled with an appropriate site-specific treatment and management plan. Any machinery, equipment and clothing must be checked for plant fragments before leaving the site. Himalayan Knotweed Himalayan knotweed originates from Central Asia and was introduced into the UK in 1900 as an ornamental plant. It was first recorded in the wild in 1917 and has become a very persistent invasive non-native species. Seed production is rare in the UK but it can spreads through its complex rhizome root systems or by pieces of stems containing nodes. The rhizome root system can reach several metres causing a stand of HK to increase in area size rapidly. Rhizome and stem fragments can be spread and dispersed by natural means e.g. watercourses, flooding, or by human interaction e.g. garden waste, fly-tipping or movement of contaminated soils. It can reach 2m in height during one growing season, forming dense thickets of reddish-brown, hollow, bamboo-like stems with fine white hairs. It has slender green leaves which taper to a long point and produces small white or pale pink flowers in loose clusters from August. Throughout the dormant season stems remain visible, turning various shades of brown until the new growing season returns when the cycle begins again. The decomposing old stems and the canopy of the growing plants poses a highly competitive edge reducing the growth of our native species. For more information on these invasive weeds and the many others that ERS are experienced at treating, take a look at our Invasive Weeds page. Or if you think you have one of these invasive weeds growing on your land, site or property and would like more information about our treatment options and management plans, get in touch and ask to speak to our Invasive Weeds Team.

Invasive weeds species to look out for in early Spring As we enter Spring, invasive weeds are beginning to show signs of life. So what should we look out for, that would indicate the presence of invasives on a site? Here are a few examples of the “big three” spotted during recent site inspections in Edinburgh and Glasgow. Japanese Knotweed (Reynoutria japonica) After last season's growth has died back over Winter, the distinctive creamy to dark brown, bamboo-like hollow canes may still be evident. These can be between 2 – 3 metres in height, brittle and easy to break, and the canes have distinctive node rings at regular intervals. Come Spring, pink buds and nodules begin to emerge from the crown (dense above-ground protrusion at the base of the stems). Avoid disturbing these as Japanese Knotweed can easily regenerate, so fragmented crowns can result in spread to other areas. Himalayan Balsam (Impatiens glandulifera) This plant is often found growing along riverbanks and in moist areas. A good way of identifying a possible stand of Himalayan balsam is to look for the creamy straw like remnants of the previous year’s stems strewn across an otherwise relatively bare patch. The early seedlings that appear at this time of year are very different to the true leaves that appear later (thinner, longer and pointed). Pairs of symmetrical oval to rounded leaves with central venation appear on delicate single stems. Giant Hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum) Spring sees Giant Hogweed seedlings rapidly emerging across a range of environments from riverbanks to brownfield land and other vacant sites. Early true leaf growth currently looks like smaller, more prostrate versions of the mature plant: Sharply divided, angular and jagged leaves with bristles. As the plants develop, hollow, purple to red speckled stems start to develop, becoming more serrated looking. Remnants of previous years tall fluted hollow canes and distinctive umbrella like flower heads often evident also. Avoid contact with Giant Hogweed as the plant causes photosensitivity, leading to skin blistering when exposed to sunlight. Unfortunately there have already been cases in the news of people and animals suffering injuries after coming in contact with the plant. For more information on common invasive plant species and how we treat them, take a look at our Invasive Weeds Management page. Or you can download this handy guide made by our Invasive Weeds team.

Bioremediation is widely considered a cost-effective and sustainable remediation technique which utilises the natural processes of micro-organisms to break down or chemically alter contaminants into less harmful forms. In many cases, it’s possible to stimulate the naturally occurring microbial populations to improve background biodegradation rates, but sometimes it may be necessary to add degrading cultures. Our scientists use technologies such as respirometry and qPCR to study microbial activity and numbers so they can determine if this is necessary. There are many other factors that can influence bioremediation performance. A few important ones are: #1 – Nutrients Hydrocarbon contaminated soils, for example, can readily be bioremediated by naturally present micro-organisms. However, with an excess of hydrocarbons in the soil, this can create suboptimal nutrient conditions for the micro-organisms, such as a lack of nitrogen. To maximise microbial activity, organic or inorganic amendments containing nitrogen are added to the soil. In order to determine the type and optimal concentration of nitrogen required, ERS have developed novel soil respiration assays to optimise the desired microbial activity. You can read more about our approach here https://bit.ly/3qvrpLw #2 – Water All organisms require water to survive and microorganisms degrading contaminants in soil are no exception. However, too much water and the availability of oxygen for aerobic degradation can become limited (not to mention the challenge of handling the soil!). Therefore, to help them thrive, the moisture content of soil should be optimised and managed. Of course, this is a lot easier said than done in a temperate climate! #3 – Temperature Ex-situ soil bioremediation is usually carried out at ambient environmental temperatures, i.e. outside and without additional heating. Although this helps to make bioremediation attractive as a cost effective and sustainable remediation technique, significant changes in temperature can influence performance and timescale. Microbial activity in soil generally increases with temperature; however, during the winter months in colder climates such as the UK’s, bioremediation projects can become prolonged due to the low temperatures. Therefore, we recommend speaking to us at an early stage so our expert scientists can optimise your bioremediation project timescale. For more information on bioremediation, take a look at this page on our website. There are also some bioremediation case studies on our Projects page.

September is always busy with conferences and, despite the Covid pandemic, this year was no exception with the Scottish Contaminated Land Forum (SCLF) annual conference, Remtech (Europe) and Contamination Expo to name just a few. This year, ERS’ Technical Manager, Dr Thomas Aspray, was involved with organising the SCLF conference and helped review abstracts, invited a keynote speaker, chaired a session and worked ‘backstage’ on the online platform. Thomas also gave a presentation on ex situ soil bioremediation in a temperate climate. The presentation fed into an interesting panel discussion on how far (bio)remediation could be taken forward from a sustainability perspective i.e. would we see incremental or step change improvements. In addition, ERS sponsored the event for 2 days, helping fund the online platform and supporting individual learning, sharing of best practice and ideas generation. The theme of SCLF this year was “brownfield remediation and reuse in the circular economy” associated with the COP26 conference in Glasgow in November. There was a range of interesting talks on the circular economy and remediation, the circular bioeconomy, and more focused talks such as a case study on passive mine water treatment. The SCLF conference was entirely online. Attendees included individuals from further afield than in the normal face to face conference format. A chatroom also ran in parallel to support networking. As part of the sponsorship package for the Scottish Contaminated Land Forum (SCLF) conference we had the opportunity to provide a 2 minute video to be shown during breaks between conference sessions as well as on SCLF social media channels. At ERS we decided to produce our video in-house. A “story-line” was drafted to compliment the accompanying text in ERS’ sponsor area of the SCLF conference website (essentially slides depicting each scene alongside voice-over text and notes about content and animations). Scenes were then timed to match the voice-over with the animations. ERS’ HR Manager Sarah McMillan kindly volunteered to be the “voice of ERS” The final version came out very well - have a look below and check for yourself! We are now looking at how we can capitalise on this experience and the skills developed to produce more videos. You might soon be able to catch up on the latest company news on an ERS YouTube or Vimeo channel!

We are delighted to announce that Christopher Sandground has joined ERS as Operations Director. Christopher is well known as a contaminated land remediation and waste management specialist. He has over 20 years of experience within the brownfield sector, delivering investigation and remediation projects across the UK. When ERS’ Contracts Director Iain Mackay announced his retirement the Team were concerned about the 40 years’ experience, the contacts and industry knowledge that would leave along with a highly respected and well liked colleague. Determined to make the best of the situation, the Board headhunted Christopher Sandground from a competitor and were able to persuade Iain to accept a part time consultancy role. ERS' Managing Director Andrew Mackenzie said, “It’s a real coup to have recruited a director of Chris’ calibre, whilst retaining Iain’s support means that we have the best of both worlds as we seek to strengthen the company and enhance our reputation in site investigation and remediation, as one of the UK’s leading contaminated land contractors.” Welcome to the ERS Team Christopher!

ERS have completed the remediation of perchloroethylene (PCE) contaminated soils and groundwater at a former tannery near Kinghorn, Fife. The Site The groundwater in shallow bedrock at this site in Fife was contaminated with perchloroethylene (PCE) associated with a former degreaser building when the site was used as a in a tannery in the past. Prior to ERS’ involvement, a 5-year programme of monitored natural attenuation had been undertaken. However, as the site had been recently earmarked for a housing development, active remediation was required to expediate treatment. Proposed Remediation Strategy and Further Investigation ERS proposed a strategy at tender stage based on the injection of reagents into the groundwater to degrade contaminants in-situ. Following acceptance of the remediation strategy by the regulator (SEPA), ERS’ first step was to gather further data to complement previous site investigation data and confirm the proposed design. Six new boreholes were drilled into rock and installed with standpipes suitable both for groundwater sample collection and to support subsequent in-situ treatment, helping minimise costs. Groundwater monitoring and sampling from the new boreholes showed that concentrations of chlorinated solvents in groundwater were locally significantly higher than anticipated and suggested the possibility of residual dense non-aqueous phase liquid (DNAPL) onsite. ERS then undertook a short phase of shallow soils investigation to identify any relict structures, tanks or grossly impacted soils which could host DNAPL above the shallow fractured bedrock and may compromise the groundwater treatment. These works exposed some grossly contaminated soils which were removed. The works also identified that the footprint of the degreaser building was slightly offset compared to historical plans and, therefore, the injection grid was adjusted accordingly. Impacts of Coronavirus Just before in-situ remediation works could start onsite, the UK went into lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic. In Scotland, this meant the closure of construction sites - this reduced the time available for remediation works on the site by 20%! Once construction sites were allowed to reopen in the summer of 2020, with new social distancing, regular Covid-19 testing and other safety measures in place, our team set about implementing ERS’ in-situ remediation strategy. In-Situ Remediation ERS’ strategy involved both in-situ chemical reduction (ISCR) and enhanced reductive dechlorination (ERD). This was achieved by injecting a combination of reagents comprising zero valent iron (ZVI) and a organic carbon source and electron donor. In addition, a PCE degrading mixed microbial culture was also introduced to drive anaerobic reductive dechlorination, as our in-house qPCR testing had shown low levels of chlorinated solvent degrading bacteria on the site. Reagent injection was undertaken by ERS’ in-house team and equipment using inflatable packers and injection pumps. All works, including drilling, were undertaken under ERS’ Mobile Plant License with associated strict controls of noise, dust and other emissions to the environment. Monitoring Remediation Progress Following injection, ERS monitored treatment progress via in-situ measurement of field parameters gathered using low flow sampling techniques, laboratory analysis of volatile organics, chloride and dissolved ethene to check reduction in concentrations, and in-house qPCR analysis to check on relevant microbial community members. The Results Comparison of before and after concentrations in groundwater samples showed a 96% reduction in overall contaminant mass at the site. Furthermore, additional checks showed redox conditions were still supportive of reductive dechlorination and qPCR analysis confirmed the presence of bacteria capable of full contaminant breakdown. This meant that the already low contamination levels would continue to decrease further at the site into the future. Thanks to some hard work from the team, ERS was able to submit the works verification report within the Client’s original timescale, despite the delays caused by the construction sites shutdown. The report was accepted by the regulators, the injection wells were subsequently decommissioned, and the client was able to commence development of the site on time! Following on from this successful groundwater remediation, the Client commissioned ERS to undertake further remediation on another part of the wider site: looking for an old underground tank associated with former candle works and removing it along with the surrounding contaminated soils.

This week is Invasive Species Week, so we’d like to raise awareness of some of the more common Invasive Weeds that ERS deals with, starting with the most well known one, Japanese Knotweed: Japanese Knotweed Japanese Knotweed can be identified by the red asparagus-like spears of early growth, followed by bamboo-like canes with alternating leaves with white flowers in summer. In winter the leaves die off leaving light coloured, brittle canes. Japanese Knotweed can spread aggressively and is difficult to remediate due to its extensive underground network of rhizomes from which new plants can regrow. New growth can exploit weaknesses in concrete, tarmac and brick structures, which is why its presence can have a negative impact on property prices. ERS are experts at Japanese Knotweed treatments and our work comes with a 10 year insurance backed guarantee. Giant Hogweed Number 2 on our Invasive Species Week list is Giant Hogweed. As the name suggests, this phytotoxic plant can grow up to 5m tall! Aside from the height and its resemblance to the much smaller native Common Hogweed, Giant hogweed can be identified by its large, sharply divided, serrated leaves and its hollow green stem with hairy bristles and purple blotches. All parts of the Giant hogweed plant contain phytotoxic sap which causes a severe rash when exposed to sunlight. If you come into contact with it, wash the area thoroughly, keep it covered from sunlight and seek medical advice. Himalayan Balsam Number 3 on our list is Himalayan Balsam. This vigorously growing weed is commonly found along watercourses where it forms dense stands, blocking out sunlight and out-competing native plants. Himalayan balsam can be identified by its finely serrated-edged whorls of leaves and trumpet shaped pink or purple flowers. The stems are hollow and brittle and the plants can grow up to 2.5m in height. Rhododendron At Number 4 on list is Rhododendron ponticum, an invasive member of the Rhododendron family of ornamental plants. Rhododendron ponticum is a versatile plant found across moorlands, woodlands, hillsides and riverbanks, as well as in gardens and parks. Its nectar is toxic to European honey bees* and it can also harbour harmful Phytophthora pathogens which can spread to and kill native woodland trees. Rhododendron ponticum can be identified by its leathery, dull green leaves and light, woody stems. Mature plants can reach 8m in height and produce pink to purple clumps of flowers between May and June. American Skunk Cabbage The final common invasive weed we’d like to highlight for Invasive Species Week is American Skunk Cabbage. It can be easily identified by its rosette of large leathery green leaves and yellow hood-like flowers which have a strong skunk odour, giving the plant its name. American Skunk Cabbage forms dense stands in wet, muddy areas surrounding ponds, streams and marshy woodlands, and can outcompete many of the sensitive native species growing in these habitats. So is this a definitive list? By no means! In fact, there are 77 species of invasive plants listed in the Property Care Association’s Invasive Non-Native Species (INNS) list. ERS has experience at dealing with many of these invasive plants, including heavily invested sites and environmentally sensitive areas, and we have a range of treatment options available depending on the plant and the site. If you are interested in any of our Invasive Weeds services, please take a look at our Invasive Weeds webpage or download our handy brochure on identification and treatment options.

As part of International Women’s Day and Women in Construction Week, we caught up with a few of the many amazing ladies at ERS and asked them what they do for us and what attracted them to their career. SARAH M has been employed by ERS for 17 years, starting out as an administration assistant before focusing on finance. When the opportunity to move into an HR / Facilities management role arose in 2016, Sarah took up the challenge and has been keeping us all in check since! Sarah enjoys the buzz of working within a smaller company and the fact that no two days are ever the same. One of the things Sarah loves about her role, particularly with the HR side of it, is that it's constantly growing and changing. From compliance with new laws and legislation, to technology and employee expectations, it's never boring and always challenging. Sarah is particularly inspired by ERS’ move into employee ownership in 2016. The opportunity to influence innumerable aspects of the organisation, to assist in the development of its employees, and to play a part in influencing business decisions is very exciting for all of us. VICKI has been working as a Contaminated Land Scientist for 18 years and has been at ERS since 2003. Although originally a Zoology graduate, she went back to do a masters in Environmental Science and became an Environmental Protection Officer with SEPA once she graduated. She started off in the Glasgow office, then moved to a former office in Bournemouth, did a few years at the Inverness office, and is now based in Jersey, working from home! Although helped in part by a flexible working environment, Vicki has successfully mastered the art of progressing in her career whilst raising a young family. Vicki has managed numerous contaminated land projects for ERS; her highlights include the grounds of a Scottish Premier League football stadium, a former MOD fuel storage depot and a former paper mill which has now been redeveloped as an Energy Centre for a Scottish University. Vicki says she loves the diversity of her job and that no two projects are the same. LIANNE has been with ERS for 6 years, working as an Invasive Weeds Surveyor and tackling a range of invasive plant species, such as Japanese Knotweed, Giant Hogweed and Himalayan Balsam, to name but a few. Lianne originally comes from a landscaping background, but says she got into invasive weeds when she wanted a new challenge from the run-of-the-mill grass and hedge cutting routine. Now she gets to travel all over Scotland and other parts of the UK, protecting our beautiful country and wildlife from the invasive plants that are trying to take over and out-compete our native species. The best part of the job for Lianne is being able to enjoy views like the mountains and loch above, and tunnelling through a huge stands of Japanese Knotweed and other towering invasives, all the while knowing she is making a difference to protect the country’s beautiful scenery. AMY is one of ERS’s Technical Specialists. Her expertise is asbestos, so she is involved in many of ERS’ site investigation and remediation projects given the prevalence of asbestos on UK Brownfield sites. She is also ERS’ waste classification expert. Amy’s degree is in Geology and she also trained as an asbestos surveyor. Amy entered the contaminated land industry in 2003, and has now been with ERS for 7 years. Although her role is now mainly office based, she does still occasionally get to don full asbestos PPE, as modelled in the photo! Amy says that on this International Women’s Day, she is proud to work for a company in which women are employed in a variety of roles, including many on-site roles, in what some still view as a male-dominated industry. TOBIE is ERS’ BD and Marketing Co-ordinator. She’s a relatively new member of the ERS team having started last February, and says it hasn’t been easy getting established at a new company during the pandemic with furlough and working from home thrown in the mix! Tobie’s role involves searching for new leads and opportunities, managing the company social media channels and she’s recently finished setting up our new website (she hopes you like it). She is also working on advertising and print materials to reach new markets and promote our wide service range. Tobie’s degree is in Biotechnology, so she is particularly interested in ERS’ bioremediation projects. But as there weren’t many graduate opportunities available, she went back to uni to do a masters in Business and went on to work in various marketing and other roles in the UK, Japan and Australia, before retraining and specialising in digital marketing. Tobie says she loves her new life in Scotland (lockdown aside) and particularly enjoys working for ERS because of the company’s focus on developing sustainable remediation options, and because their work to remediate contaminated brownfield sites across the UK facilitates regeneration and improves urban communities. TANYA is ERS’ Quality Manager and has been working for us since 2017. Previously, she worked for many years in Project Management, then later made the step over to work in Quality. In smaller companies like ERS, she says the employees have to wear many different hats. For Tanya, that means she is also involved in project admin functions and takes care of the Duty of Care reports. Although her work is mostly office based, she gets to communicate with all teams and staff, both on-site and in the office. Tanya says the work she does is very varied, and there are so many big and small challenges which she enjoys. Most of all, the fact that she makes a positive contribution to the work of the company and her colleagues, gives her a great deal of satisfaction. GEMMA and SARAH O are the two female members of ERS’ Site Investigation Team. Gemma joined us in 2014 and Sarah in 2019. Gemma and Sarah both did Geology at the University of Glasgow, and have been working for ERS since they graduated, having chosen to follow a career in the brownfield land regeneration sector. They kindly sent in this socially distanced selfie from their latest project, where they are doing a site investigation of a disused railway line which will be turned into part of Sustrans’ 1,643 mile long National Cycle Network across Scotland.

The lockdown and subsequent shut down of construction sites in Scotland in Spring 2020 had a dramatic impact on the Site Investigation and Remediation industry. But despite the huge changes to living and working practices that were necessary, many ERS staff members were still able to take some positives from an otherwise dreadful year. One of the first measures that was introduced at ERS in March 2020 was working from home to reduce the transmission risk from office working. ERS had already adopted cloud technology before the pandemic and most staff had laptops which were capable of connecting to the network remotely. Site staff were already used to remote access and hotdesking, so technologically at least we were well placed to make the switch. Despite the sudden upheaval, ERS staff rose to the challenges of this New Normal. Most were able to adapt quickly to working from home, and client/team meetings were still possible over remote video-conferencing software instead of face-to-face. “From the feedback that we gathered, it seems to have been a positive experience for most staff and something they would be keen to integrate more into our way of working, even past the pandemic,” says HR Manager Sarah. However, the switch to home working meant one person’s workload increased significantly. Technical Specialist and IT wizard Nik suddenly found himself on the front line as staff turned to him for help with new or unfamiliar software and equipment. “We needed to get everyone capable of working from home,” he explains. Typical issues included login difficulties from home due to enhanced security features; access and equipment problems on Teams meetings and the need for remote sessions to resolve problems that would normally be dealt within seconds in the office. The Long Shut Down A few weeks later on the 6th of April, the Scottish Government made the decision to shut down construction sites, effectively pushing the pause button on ERS projects north of the border, except for projects which were deemed essential, for instance where active remediation schemes were already operating and invasive weeds projects, as of course lockdown did not mean that plants stopped growing and missed treatments would lead to greater infestations and longer eradication timescales. With the pandemic tightening its grip and no reopening of site work for the foreseeable future, ERS made the difficult decision to furlough many staff members for a while. As ERS is an employee-owned company, this decision was subject to consultation with all staff members. With the schools also closed, this may have come as welcome news to parents who found themselves juggling work and teaching duties, but others inevitably found it much more difficult to replace the bustle and comradery of working life. Aware of the impact this might have on some employees’ mental health, team leaders regularly checked in on their team members, and furloughed staff were encouraged to use the time to do training courses, webinars and other personal development work. Others used the time to reconnect with their communities through voluntary work, helping others in need during the crisis. And When Lockdown Finally Ended….? Not many people realised how long the lockdown was going to be. “When I left the office at lunchtime on the 25th March 2020 I didn’t think it would be nearly 3 months until I returned to work!” Procurement Administrator, Steph admits. “On returning in June there were some challenges and I spent a lot of time putting up [social distancing] posters and stickers on floor.” As well as the new social distancing visual guides, other COVID H&S improvements included hand sanitiser dispensers, new toilet entrance locks and hand towel dispensers. For staff who worked on site and in supporting roles, work seemed to pick up quickly once construction work was allowed to re-commence. Whilst that did cause some equipment resourcing and staffing issues (as a relatively small company, a couple of positive tests forcing site staff to self-isolate could affect a project quite considerably, leading to project managers also getting hands-on to help out), the main changes to site work in the New Normal were the extra COVID related H&S requirements – new risk assessments that included COVID mitigation measures, on-site social distancing measures, no sharing of vehicles, avoiding direct contact and regular decontamination of surfaces. But again, staff adapted pretty quickly to the new working practices. The only real issue appeared to be the sourcing of personal protective equipment (PPE). Not only were items like masks and gloves hard to get hold of, the prices had also increased dramatically – well over double in some instances! So it wasn’t all Doom and Gloom? “I think there has been some real positives,” HR Manager Sarah points out. “The pandemic has forced us into an increase in remote and flexible working and allowed us to review the effectiveness of this across the organisation as a whole.” And outside the office, the extra time to think about how to progress with projects that were temporarily on hold also seems to have brought about some positive, more sustainable approaches from our clients. “It gave us time to re-assess the most appropriate remediation strategy for a number of projects,” says Managing Director Andrew. “Instead of the usual urgency to complete site remediation as quickly as possible, leading to more off-site disposal than we would like, our clients found themselves with breathing space to explore alternative soil treatment techniques. These may take longer but are often more sustainable and cost effective.” This upturn in interest in longer term or more complex remediation strategies meant in 2020, ERS’s Mobile Plant License was deployed for: · Ex-situ bioremediation · In-situ chemical reduction and enhanced reductive dechlorination · Ex-situ chemical oxidation · In-situ thermal desorption · Heat enhanced NAPL recovery · Multi-Phase vacuum extraction · A variety of pump and treat systems “I think everyone has shown their willingness to be flexible and adaptable this year and to collaborate with each other in new ways,” Sarah says. “It has been hard for everyone to adapt, there have been a lot of different demands on people this year, and I think it has been navigated admirably.” That said, we’re all looking forward to seeing an end to the pandemic in 2021 and fresh opportunities to work with new and existing clients, investigating and remediating their contaminated sites across the UK.

This festive season ERS has taken the decision to donate the amount that we would usually spend at this time of year (cards and gifts, our annual staff dance etc) to those less fortunate. We will be donating to both East Dunbartonshire Foodbank and The British Heart Foundation. It is important to us to support those in our local area who may be struggling in these trying times. Earlier in the year, due to the ongoing Coronavirus situation we unfortunately had to cancel plans to fundraise for the British Heart Foundation in memory of our much loved colleague Steven Nisbet who sadly passed away in July 2019. We hope that our donation to them will go some way in supporting their important work and look forward to carrying out our fundraiser when safe to do so. We would like to wish all of our loyal clients, suppliers and of course our employees a very Merry Christmas and a happy, prosperous New Year. Thank you, as always, for your support. From all at ERS

This relatively new molecular biology technology has now made its way to the field of contaminated land remediation and ERS's scientists have already had the opportunity to apply it to some of our projects. What is qPCR? qPCR is based on Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), a widely used molecular biology technique used to copy DNA. qPCR is a bit different because as well as copying the DNA, the technique “quantifies” the amount of DNA of interest in the original sample – and therefore (in our case) the number of microbes (bacteria, fungi etc.) present. How can you use qPCR for contaminated land remediation? We use qPCR in various ways, such as seeing whether contaminant degraders are present and how abundant they are in contaminated environments. It can also be used to monitor active bioremediation, e.g. where microbes have been introduced and/or stimulated with nutrients. The DNA which codes for the enzymes with do this are key targets for qPCR, allowing us to use the technique to look at complex biodegradation pathways and identify "breaks" in the pathways which can help explain chemical results. What kind of contaminants can it be used for? Microbes are remarkable and can degrade anything from hydrocarbons to chlorinated solvents. They can even help remediate toxic metals by turning them into harmless/ insoluble forms. So why should I consider qPCR for my site? Well for starters, it allows for better assessment of low cost remediation options, such as bioremediation, which could save a lot of money. It also provides scientific evidence of remediation progress, which gives greater assurance for regulator stakeholders. Although this is a cutting edge application for the Remediation Industry, ERS’s scientists have considerable experience of using it, both in real-life remediation projects and through university collaborations to advance our collective knowledge in this new field. If you are interested in how it might be applied to your site, get in touch with our Technical Manager, Dr Tom Aspray, on 0141 772 2789 or tom@ersremediation.com #contaminatedland #bioremediation #molecularbiology #qPCR #innovation