A good practice for odour management on contaminated sites (P3291)

Odour is a major nuisance on many construction sites. The situation is often more severe with contaminated sites with hazardous gases e.g., VOC is present. Odour can cause eye, nose, and throat irritation. Toxic substances such as VOC in air can also lead to poor air quality and also contribute to the long-term decline in biodiversity. Another issue with odour is it can cause significant problems with the local community. This is because:

• odour can be a subjective matter, communicating the science to non-specialists is often very challenging.
• other than being regulated by LA, any person affected by odour has the right to complain directly to the Magistrates’ Court under section 82 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

Project objectives

Provide guidance to help construction and contaminated land professionals involved in brownfield projects:

• manage odour related issues in brownfield projects, 
• understand what types of gas should be tested for and what is needed in monitoring for different types of gases including VOCs
• comply with the relevant regulations in controlling odour e.g., planning, permitting, Part 2A, etc.
• plan and implement mitigation and control approaches
• manage local community with issues related to odour 

Project status
This project is currently seeking technical and financial support.

Further information
For further information or to get involved with this project please contact Joanne Kwan.