Pioneering environmental project launched

A pioneering project designed to help clean up contaminated brownfield sites is being launched by the University of Teesside.

The Bioremediation Programme will bring together the university’s specialists in environmental biotechnology to act as a consultancy for companies wishing to develop former industrial sites.

The programme, part of the University’s Clean Environment Management Centre (CLEMANCE), will be launched at the University’s Centre for Enterprise in Victoria Road, Middlesbrough, on Wednesday 18th February at 10am.

Guests will be welcomed by Professor Graham Street, Director of CLEMANCE and the programme will be outlined by Dr Richard Lord, Bioremediation Project Manager. The guest speakers will be Phil Crowcroft, Director of environmental consultancy Entec UK Ltd, and Entec principal consultant Ian Evans, who will describe biotechnology, the scientific method on which the Bioremediation Programme will be based.

Funded by £281,000 from the European Regional Development Fund, £391,000 of public funding and £32,000 of private resources, the University programme is the next phase in developing CLEMANCE’S existing expertise.

Dr Lord, pictured, said: “The Government is behind bioremediation because it is concerned about development swallowing up the green belt. Bioremediation actually destroys organic contaminants and so helps protect Greenfield sites by allowing the safe reuse of brownfield sites instead.

“Contamination of soils, groundwater, sediments, surface water and air with hazardous and toxic chemicals is one of the major problems facing industrial societies today and is a significant obstacle to the economic regeneration of the North-East. Bioremediation can address that."

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