Growing focus on the environment means that many oil companies are seeing the need to map the petrol and diesel contamination in the ground beneath their filling stations and refineries.

But, for companies that operate a large number of sites it can be a big challenge to gather the relevant data and maintain an up-to-date overview of their liability. That’s what it takes if you want to secure the value of your portfolio for a future sale and, not least, satisfy legal requirements. Growing environmental awareness among consumers also makes it a good PR exercise to ensure contamination issues are under control.

Start with an estimate

Luckily, studies dating back to the 1990s – when underground contamination caused by filling stations was still at a peak – have given us a statistical basis for estimating the potential risk areas and volume of contaminated soil at individual sites. At Ejlskov, we enter these estimates in an environmental asset management database we have specially developed for the purpose. From this first calculation, it’s an easy next step to calculate environmental liability and the provisions that should be set aside to cover future costs.

Prioritize your response

Companies with multiple sites can use this information to prioritize their response. Which sites are planned for sale or closure in the near future? And which sites are likely to be subject to a local authority requirement that contaminants are removed? The answers to these questions will determine which sites should be dealt with - and in what order. Physical investigations of underground conditions at priority sites then give a precise picture, replacing the estimates with documentation of the actual contamination. Based on the data obtained from soil sample analyses, actual liability can be assessed in relation to the soil type, depth of the groundwater table and the speed at which contaminants are likely to spread. This is the information you need to determine whether to commence a cleanup operation.

Accessible and transparent

Whatever you decide, we ensure all site data remains accessible in the environmental asset management database. That includes information such as distance to key drinking protection areas, lakes, watercourses and coast and all local authority correspondence about the site. All in all, it provides the transparent overview that helps you manage your liabilities and, ultimately, increase the value of your property. Potential future buyers can also see exactly what they are paying for – making it easier to set the price. 

Give me a call if you are interested in hearing more about the environmental asset management database and how it may benefit your business.