Cleaning up sustainably at the Brownfield Expo

Issues surrounding sustainability have taken a back seat for companies who are naturally more concerned about their short-term situations, but Brownfield Expo 2009 is on hand to provide long-term answers to long-term problems

As the recent Parkinson Report warned, brownfield development may be particularly vulnerable to the effects of the economic crisis – but Michael Parkinson also stated in his report to the Department of Communities and Local Government that the industry should not panic. While the construction sector is being hit hard, regeneration activity is continuing, therefore it is as important as ever that the sector should strive to move forward. Brownfield Expo 2009 is encouraging this movement, from new legislation to new and improved technologies, there are many issues to be discussed and opportunities to be seized.

Taking place at the NEC in Birmingham from May 19-21, Brownfield Expo (BEX) is the UK’s national event for discussion and debate for local authorities, property developers, consultants and suppliers of remediation and technology services.

It forms part of Sustainabilitylive!, the UK’s most comprehensive event for excellence and innovation in the water, environment, energy, land and sustainability sectors, and is sponsored by Hyder Consulting. Show partners supporting BEX this year include: The British Urban Regeneration Association (BURA); Environmental Industries Commission (EIC); CL:AIRE; The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health; SiLC and Brownfield Briefing.

Seminar programme
Under the leadership of the Brownfield Expo Steering Group, a free programme of high-level technical seminars and keynotes will run across the three-day show. The informative and thought-provoking programme features top industry organisations such as Taylor Wimpey, Regenesis, the Olympic Delivery Authority and Atkins.

Steering Group member, Jan Hellings, project sponsor enabling works at the Olympic Delivery Authority, will present a case study discussing the remedial measures of the Olympic Park. One of the largest ‘Brownfield’ redevelopment sites in the South East of England, the clean-up operation has involved the reuse of site derived materials through on-site processing using soil washing, bioremediation and soil stabilisation. The soil treatment centres have to-date achieved better than 80 percent reuse of the excavated soils.

In-situ bioremediation has gained a sizeable degree of acceptance in both the UK and Europe, and it now represents best practice for groundwater treatment in most cases. Martin Richell, Associate Director at Raw will present a number of case studies of successful use of various bioremediation techniques, and discuss when and where the technique is appropriate, and when it might not be suitable.

Additionally, in response to the financial crisis of the credit crunch, and the ecological challenges pushing the need for more sustainable approaches to regeneration, Ian Heasman, brownfield remediation manager at Taylor Wimpey UK, will host the session ‘A Credit Crunch Guide to Sustainable Remediation’. From a developer’s perspective, Heasman will answer questions such as: ‘How does the developing concept of sustainable remediation fit into the new world order of restricted finance?’ and, ‘Is the most sustainable approach to do nothing at all?’

Other seminar sessions will be presented by: Marcus Yeo of Severn Trent Laboratories; Paul Nathanail of the University of Nottingham; Peter Atchison of PAGeotechnical; Victoria Gomersall of BSI Management Systems; and, Jeremy Birnstingl of Regensis, with more to be confirmed.

Exhibiting and attending
Many organisations have confirmed their presence at the 2009 event, including: Adventus; Carus Europe; Envirogene; INFICON; LCM Environmental; Terra Vac and the University of Nottingham. Gareth Leonard, technical and engineering manager at Regenesis, comments: “Brownfield Expo is a show that we can’t afford to miss. Last year the high flow of people coming through the show ensured we made some quality leads; and some were from delegates to the other areas of Sustainabilitylive! Following our seminar session last year, our exhibition stand was buzzing with activity – we look forward to more of the same this year.”

Awards
Representing the energy, environment and brownfield markets, the Environment and Energy Awards 2009, will be showcased and presented during a black tie dinner on the evening of Tuesday May 19, 2009 at the National Motorbike Museum Birmingham. Focusing on celebrating excellence and achievement, the awards will recognise new and innovative technologies, as well as excellence in management and outstanding performance. Two of the awards specifically targeted at the brownfield markets are the Innovation Award for Remediation Technology and the Environmental Science Student Award, sponsored by Adventus.

Skills and training
A new feature to Sustainabilitylive! 2009 will be the Skills and Training Zone; launched to help close the gap in the appropriate skills and knowledge needed for the increasing number of jobs in the environmental industries. This new initiative will offer universities and training houses a platform to showcase their services and increase awareness of their brands. Visitors can find out more about the different options available to them and enhance their knowledge and skills.

Part of Sustainabilitylive!
Continuing to take its place within the Sustainabilitylive! forum, Brownfield Expo will be co-located alongside the Environmental Technology Exhibition (ET); the National Energy Management Exhibition (NEMEX); the International Water and Effluent Exhibition (IWEX); and, new for this year, Sustainable Business – The Event. Other exhibitors at Sustainabilitylive! include: British Gas Business; E.ON; Sustainable Energy Solutions; Advantage West Midlands; Mouchel; Parsons Brickerhoff; Hyder Consulting; UKTI and the National Laboratory Services.

Attending Brownfield Expo provides the perfect platform to network face-to-face, while keeping up-to-date with the latest industry news and legislation. And at a time when getting value for money is imperative, having all five events together under one roof will allow people working across disciplines to make the most of their time out of the office, making it a must-attend event.

Sustainabilitylive!
Sustainabilitylive! aims to equip businesses with the tools and knowledge to take steps towards a more sustainable business in the year ahead. To register for free attendance and get up-to-the-minute news, visit sustainabilitylive.com
or call +44 (0) 208 651 7151.