Geo-environmental (Birmingham) in the news.

We have been undertaking a ground investigation in Redditch to address the feasibility of a site as a potential burial area.   We have been working in partnership with Redditch Borough Council to explain to the local community what we are doing and why we are doing it.

Site Assessment

As part of the assessment of the site to provide a possible solution to the burial space shortage, we are testing the sites suitability by looking at three things:

  1. Establishing the permeability of the ground – the rate at which water soaks away into the ground.
  2. Establishing the depth to groundwater – water flows underneath the ground, this is called the aquifer. An aquifer is a geologic formation (rocks and soil) that can store and transmit water to wells, springs and some streams.
  3. Baselining what contamination may or may not be present at the location.

This is because, following a human burial, chemicals are released within ten to twelve years of burial.  It is important to establish where these contaminants go and if they pose a risk to human health.

Community Engagement

As part of this exercise and in addition to our regular investigation work, we have been supporting the Council by conducting a number of press and radio interviews:

In addition to these engagements, we also provided a brief questions and answers session to local A-level geology students.

We have been happy to support Redditch Borough Council with this exercise.  This helps us to secure two of our key corporate engagement aims:

  1. Showing how young people can find a route into our profession; and
  2. Ensuring that members of the public are better informed about what we do and why we are doing it, minimising any concerns when we are conducting an investigation.

In the future we would be keen to support other initiatives like this. We feel that it would be beneficial to the development of the industry and increase the understanding of what we do.