Guidelines on remediation of contaminated sites
7. Reporting
| 7.1 | Preliminary investigations |
| 7.1.1 | Report outline |
| 7.1.2 | Figures and tables |
| 7.1.3 | Appendices |
| 7.2 | Supplemental investigations |
It is important that results from investigations are reported in an easy-to-understand manner. Texts should be clear and concise, and the text should be supported by summary tables and figures.
7.1 Preliminary investigations
7.1.1 Report outline
An example of an outline for use in a report of a preliminary investigation is given below.
| Abstract | ||
| Table of contents | ||
| Table of appendices |
||
| 1. Introduction | ||
| 2. Site description | ||
| 2.2 | Historical review | |
| 2.3 | Current and future land use | |
| 2.4 | Water abstraction and nearby surface water recipients | |
| 3. Objectives and strategy | ||
| 4. Scope of the investigation | ||
| 5. Geology and hydrogeology | ||
| 6. Extent of contamination | ||
| 6.1 | Contamination of soil | |
| 6.2 | Contamination of groundwater | |
| 7. Risk assessments | ||
| 8. Summary and recommendations | ||
| 9. References | ||
The report should start with an abstract. This should provide a brief and accurate
preliminary impression of the content of the report. Details such as datum and exact
concentrations of contamination are not usually included in the abstract.
The report should be divided into main sections and subsections which should be numbered using Arabic numerals. More than three levels should be avoided for the sake of simplicity. If the need arises, an additional main section is preferable to additional levels.
The first part of the report should also include a table of appendices which are included in the report.
The introduction should contain the following information on the site and the investigation:
 | Address |
| Number from the parcel register |
| Contaminated site number, if any, or other registration number |
| Owner |
| Party who ordered the investigation (client) |
| Drilling contractor and analytical laboratory |
| Consultants, if relevant |
| Short description of the situation |
Chapter 2 on the description of the site may contain the sections mentioned in the outline:
| Historical review |
| Current and future usage of the site |
| Water abstraction and nearby surface-water recipients |
The objective of the investigation should be stated, and the strategy chosen should be described. The reasons for selecting the strategy should be given in light of the site description and the investigation objectives.
Chapter 4 describes the scope of the investigations conducted. Technical details, such as drilling work, sampling, methodologies for geophysical investigations and the like may be referred to the appendices.
The programme chosen for analysis can be stated in the text, possibly in the form of a table. If the programme is extensive, it may be preferable to attach it as an appendix.
The regional geology and hydrogeology should be described on the basis of available literature and geological cyclogram maps (which show lithographic strata and groundwater levels and are prepared from data from soil borings). Relevant geological cross sections should be prepared as well as maps of the potentiometric surface for relevant aquifers. The vulnerability of the aquifer should be assessed on the basis of the geological conditions and the potentiometric maps.
On the basis of the geology and hydrogeology close to the surface, the risk of affecting the quality of surface water recipients should be assessed.
Furthermore, the risk of affecting neighbouring sites should be assessed.
This chapter provides a description of contamination type, concentration, and extent in relation to the quality criteria for the relevant medium.
The results of chemical analyses are attached as laboratory reports in appendices. It may be appropriate to collect results in the form of a table within the text, or, if the results are very extensive, in an appendix.
For a very large number of results, presenting them in table form alone may not provide the necessary overview. In many cases, it may be appropriate to present results graphically.
Chapter 7 should collate the geological and hydrogeological information with information on the extent of the contamination. On this basis, an assessment of the contamination conditions on and around the site being investigated is presented. A risk assessment should be carried out with a view to providing recommendations regarding possible supplemental investigations or remedial measures.
A summary of the investigation should be provided, as well as the most important results.
7.1.2 Figures and tables
Figures and tables are a very important part of a report. They are included to facilitate understanding and to provide an overview. If more than a couple of numbers are to be presented in a text, they are more easily comprehended in a table.
Appendix 7.1 describes the figures which a preliminary investigation report may contain. In many cases, there will be insufficient space for data to be made satisfactorily clear in a figure in the text. In this event, they should be placed in an appendix.
7.1.3 Appendices
Appendix 7.1 provides a description of the appendices and figures a report may contain. The description may be supplemented by further appendices as required.
If there are very extensive appendices, it may be appropriate to include these in a separate report.
7.2 Supplemental investigations
In principle, reports of supplemental investigations should designed around the same outline as reports of preliminary investigations.
However, a general outline for all supplemental investigations cannot be given, as the investigations may have varying objectives and content.
It should be mentioned that relevant results from previous investigations should be included and worked into reports of supplemental investigations.
The overall assessment of results will often appear as a risk assessment. If there is a risk, investigations will often result in preparation of a proposal for an outline project for remediation.