Here at Geobear, ensuring that our work and materials are safe for the environment is of the utmost importance to us. The principle of “Zero Harm” is one of our three core values, alongside “Customer First” and “Professionalism”. Zero Harm for us encompasses the prevention of any harm to the public, to our employees and to the environment.
We are very proud of our innovative geopolymer injection process, which has transformed the way subsidence is treated.
We also want to make sure our customers know that the materials we used are totally safe and do not harm the environment or affect the groundwater in the area where work has been carried out.
To this end, we recently commissioned ESI Consulting to carry out an environmental impact assessment to confirm that Geobear’s methods are completely safe and do not affect nearby water.
Here is a statement on the results of the assessment:
To demonstrate that the use of Geobear’s Geopolymer technology is safe to the environment, Geobear recently commissioned ESI Ltd (formerly Environmental Simulations International and now part of the Stantec Group) to undertake a thorough environmental impact assessment and in particular to address any potential impact on drinking water aquifers.
ESI are internationally recognised soil and groundwater experts and regularly work directly for the UK’s Environment Agency in a range of capacities. Following initial consultations with the Environment Agency, ESI recommended that two of the most commonly used of Geobear’s Geopolymers should undergo testing at a specialist independent laboratory (ALS Life Sciences Limited). Stringent leachability testing to determine the leachable concentrations of hazardous substances and non-hazardous pollutants within each of the products was therefore undertaken and ESI documented the findings within a qualitative environmental impact assessment report published July 2018 (copies available on request).
This study concluded “no discernible presence of hazardous substances or non-hazardous pollutants. Thus, it is considered that the leachability test results demonstrate that the discharge would be of a “quantity and concentration so small as to obviate any present or future danger of deterioration in the quality of the receiving groundwater”. Thus, the activity is not a ‘groundwater activity’ as defined by the Environmental Permitting Regulations 2016.
This conclusively demonstrates that the Geopolymers are safe to be injected into the ground and will have no adverse environmental impact even when used within a drinking water aquifer.
This statement was produced on behalf of Geobear by Professor Colin M Eddie FREng
As you can see, the assessment clearly showed that there is no environmental risk posed by the use of geopolymers for subsidence treatment by Geobear.
For more information about the materials and methods we use, feel free to get in touch with us. Give us a call today on 0800 084 3503 or fill out our contact form.
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