PROPOSED HILLHOUSE WATER

PLANT

PHASE I ENVIRONMENTAL
AUDIT
AND DESK STUDY

February 2009

Water Plant - Environmental 1 February 2009

 CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION
2. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
3. SITE HISTORY
4. POLLUTION CONTROL AND INCIDENTS
5. REGISTERED RADIOACTIVE SOURCES
6. REGISTERED LANDFILL OR WASTE TREATMENT SITES
7. PUBLISHED GEOLOGY
8. MINING
9. SUBSIDENCE
10. PRESENCE OF RADON
11. HYDROGEOLOGY
12. PROXIMITY TO CONTROLLED WATERS
13. FLOODING AND DRAINAGE
14. SENSITIVE LAND USES
15. FORMER CHEMICAL PRODUCTION FACILITY
16. PRELIMINARY CONCEPTUAL MODEL
17. CONCLUSION

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1. INTRODUCTION

Thornton Facilities Management Limited is proposing to construct a water plant on

the Hillhouse Site. The plant area will provide office accommodation and processing
equipment within a portal framed housing unit.

A plan of the proposed site is given in Figure 1 below and is shown as a red line area
within the Hillhouse secure complex.

The surface area of the development is approximately 6300 m2. The Grid Reference
for the centre of the site is SD 345 439.

Figure 1 Location of Proposed Water Plant

Currently the proposed development site consists of concrete foundations from a

previous use as a storage area for vinyl chloride that was produced from the adjacent
production area to the north.

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This report is presented to meet the requirements of planning conditions, which state
that a Phase 1 environmental audit and desk study should be completed and
accompany a Planning Application. The purpose of the Phase 1 study is to determine
whether or not the previous uses of the land my have resulted in contamination of the
site, such that there is a significant risk of harm to human health or pollution of
controlled waters for the intended future use.

A Phase 2 intrusive investigation of the site might then be required if the audit/desk
study determines that there is a risk to receptors from ground and groundwater
contamination.

2. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

A thorough review has been made of the historical records relating to the proposed
Water Plant development plot on the Hillhouse site. This plot is located to the centre
and east of the Hillhouse site and has been unused for the past 10 years.

The plot itself is adjacent to part of the On-Site Kitchen (OSK) Rental plot which has
been recently redeveloped. The OSK plot was also subject to ground and groundwater
studies and much of the historical information relating to the development of the OSK
site and its surroundings is directly applicable to this site and has been replicated in
this study.

Historically the site remained as a field for many years. This started to change,
according to the maps, before 1955-1956 at which time development to the south of
the location was beginning to merge with that in the north (a rail marshalling yard
associated with the nearby ammonia soda works).

The adjacent vinyl chloride and ‘Hexa’ chemical plants are also shown on the maps at
this time. They remain on the maps in 1973, but by 1983 some plant buildings have
been removed and this broadly corresponds to the period when these plants were
finally demolished in the early 1990s.

‘Hexa’ or hexachloroethane was produced on this site by passing vapourised

perchloroethylene (‘PER’) at approximately 150 degrees Centigrade over a ferric
chloride catalyst with gaseous chlorine. Vinyl chloride was produced in this location
on a technologically ‘early’ plant by the hydro-chlorination of acetylene.

In 1973 the maps show a more significant development of which the Water Plant
location became a part. This was as a large, new vinyl chloride production unit that
used ethylene and chlorine as the main raw materials. The Water Plant plot was then
used as a vinyl chloride storage area.

It is possible that these adjacent chemical production facilities (vinyl chloride and the
‘Hexa’ plot) have contaminated the groundwater, which has then flowed underneath
the Water Plant redevelopment plot.

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A review of the potential effects of chemical production on the Water Plant
redevelopment site has been carried out and the possibility of a limited amount of
contamination has been identified. The contamination was suspected to have
originated from the use, storage and production of chemicals from the surrounding
production sites and some contamination is also suspected to have originated from use
of the site as a chemical storage area, associated with the adjacent vinyl chloride
production facilities. Contamination from historical demolition activities has
additionally been identified as a possibility.

The preliminary conceptual model has identified that these contaminants do have
potential pathways to receptors. It is therefore recommended that a Phase II site
investigation is carried out to determine if there are significant levels of contaminants
in the ground and groundwater of the plot and that this be a condition of any grant of
Outline Planning Permission.

3. SITE HISTORY

Thornton Facilities Management has used an Envirocheck report (presented as the

Appendix to this document) for the Water Plant redevelopment plot to assess the
historical development that has occurred on the site. Part of the report covers the
historical development of Ordnance Survey maps, which enables a check to be made
on any development of the site that may have occurred. A brief summary of the
development on and around the site is given below.

Maps are available (given in Appendix) for the years 1848, 1895, 1913-1914, 1933,
1955-1956, 1967 - 1970, 1973, 1983, 1986 – 1993, 2001 and 2003.

The earliest available map in 1848 shows the site and the surrounding area to be
almost completely undeveloped, existing as farmland. Approximately 400 meters to
the west of the site is The Preston and Wyre Railway line, which broadly ran in a
north-south direction.

Little on the site has changed by 1895, although in the northwest, the railway line has
been diverted further west and Fleetwood Salt Works has been constructed at the point
of the diversion. Burn Naze has been developed to the west of the site area.

In 1913/1914, an Ammonia Soda Works has been built immediately east of the
railway line; part of that development includes railway sidings. A water reservoir has
been built immediately north of the Works and is presumably associated with the
Works. Burn Naze has been further developed and a Gas Works has been built on the
opposite side of the railway line from Burn Naze.

By 1933, there had been significant development at the Ammonia Soda Works and in
and around Burn Naze, although the reference to the gas works is absent. There are
now substantial railway sidings located on the Ammonia Soda Works site.

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A significant amount of development in the form of chemical plant can be seen to
have occurred on the map of 1955-1956, although other evidence from the Ministry of
Supply records from the Second World War period suggests that this development
started in the early 1940s. The Ammonia Soda Works remains and there is now a large
Chemical Works east of the railway line and south of the Ammonia Soda Works.

There appears to a significant change in the vicinity of the Water Plant redevelopment
site during the period up to 1955-1956, which occurs at the same time as the whole
chemical complex appears to have grown again.

By 1973, the Ammonia soda Works has been removed, to be replaced in part by other
chemical facilities. The replacement chemical plant is the vinyl chloride (VC4) plant
and this was demolished approximately 7 years ago. It was built largely in the area
occupied by the railway sidings associated with the ammonia soda plant and was part
of the much larger Hillhouse/Burn Hall complex operated by ICI.

In 1983 there appears to be a change in the developed status of the adjacent ‘Hexa’
and early vinyl chloride plant as indicated on the maps – some buildings have been
removed and this coincides with the shutdown of the ‘Hexa’ production facilities.
This trend is continued across the site and in the early 1990s the site began to run
down until most operations had ceased by the mid/late 1990s. A considerable amount
of building demolition activities took place during this time. Demolition was generally
carried out to the building slab level (so that the slab remained in place). This type of
demolition can be slightly misleading on the maps because the footprint sometimes
remains in place, but the building is no longer present.

The above history is summarised in the table below:

Date Scale Description
1848 1:10,560 Site is shown undeveloped, as an open field. The Preston &
Wyre railway line is shown to the west of the site.
1895 1:10,560 Fleetwood Salt works approximately 1.0 kms to the north.
1913/14 1:10,560 Fleetwood salt works has expanded and Ammonia soda Works
is shown approximately 0.5 kms to the north. Thornton Gas
Works is shown approximately 400 meters to the west. There
are some railway sidings shown on the Riverside site.
1933 1:10,560 Ammonia soda Works has expanded significantly and the
railway sidings have increased markedly.
1955/56 1:10,560 Chemical Works has developed significantly to the east and
south of the site. Development at Burn Hall also noted. First
signs of the ‘Hexa’ and vinyl chloride chemical plant
development.
1967/70 1:10,560 Further development noted. Thornton Power Station on map.
1973 1:10,000 Ammonia Soda Works no longer in evidence. Replaced by VC4
Plant complex.
1983 1:10,000 Further development at Burn Hall. Changes evident on the
‘Hexa’ and ‘old’ vinyl chloride sites.
1986/93 1:10,000 Hillhouse Site fully developed.

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2001 1:10,000 No significant change
2003 1:10,000 No significant change
Table 1 History of Site Development

In summary, the Water Plant redevelopment plot was undeveloped until before 1955,
after which time it was used for chemical plants producing vinyl chloride and ‘Hexa’.
During this time it was situated in a highly developed and integrated chemical works,
surrounded by other chemical plants and their related service units.

The adjacent ‘Hexa’ and vinyl chloride plants were closed before 1992 and this was
followed by the shutdown of the complex in general, which was largely completed by
the end of the 1990s.

The Water Plant redevelopment plot has remained essentially unused for the past 10
years.

4. POLLUTION CONTROL AND INCIDENTS

There are a number of Integrated Pollution Control authorisations reported within one
kilometre of the site, reflecting the previous chemical industry land use and history. A
number of the references are out of date, but four companies do continue to operate
processes that remain regulated under the IPC/IPPC regimes. These companies are
‘Victrex’ and the European Vinyls Corporation (EVC) for the manufacture and use of
organic chemicals, Asahi Glass Fluoropolymers UK Ltd and Linde Electronics, whose
authorisations relate to the manufacture and use of halogens.

5. REGISTERED RADIOACTIVE SOURCES

There are no recorded sources within one kilometre of the site. Envirocheck
references relate to historical use where authorisations have now been revoked.

6. REGISTERED LANDFILL OR WASTE TREATMENT SITES

Two of the above sites operating with Waste Management Licences (WML) are
reported within one kilometre of the Water Plant redevelopment site. One is a
household, commercial and industrial waste transfer station located at approximately
400 meters in a westerly direction and there is also a lapsed licence relating to a scrap
yard that was 600 meters to the southwest, although that licence is no longer in use.

British Geological Society records do indicate a historical site to the northwest of the
Riverside Development site, but there is an error in the indicated location.

7. PUBLISHED GEOLOGY

Both solid and drift geology for the area is shown on the BGS sheet 66, Blackpool,
1:50,000 scale maps. Sub surface deposits are primarily made ground, underlain by
marine and estuarine alluvium of the Flandrian age, which are predominantly silt and

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clay, although there are some discontinuous layers of peat. Beneath the alluvium there
are glacial deposits of boulder clay, glacial sands and gravel.

The solid geology comprises a series of mudstones with occasional thin layers of salt.
These Triassic mudstones are now referred to as the Mercia Mudstone Group and are
approximately 400 meters thick beneath the site. The Sherwood Sandstone Group is
situated below the mudstones.

8. MINING

The site is not in an area that is affected by coal mining. There are no reported hazards
associated with shallow mining.

9. SUBSIDENCE

Subsidence hazards arising from compressible ground are reported as being high.
Swelling clay hazards are classified low. There are no reported hazards from ground
dissolution, gulls and cambering and landslip subsidence hazards.

10. PRESENCE OF RADON

The BGS, National Information Service indicate that no radon protection measures are
necessary within the Water Plant redevelopment site area and the National
Radiological Board state that less than 1% of homes are above an Action Level.

11. HYDROGEOLOGY

On the Environment Agency Groundwater Vulnerability Map, the site area is not
located in a Source Protection Zone.

The soils types are of intermediate leachability potential and readily transmit liquid
discharge because they are either shallow or susceptible to rapid by-pass flow directly
to rock, gravel or groundwater.

12. PROXIMITY TO CONTROLLED WATERS

The River Wyre estuary is within 100 meters to the east of the site. The Environment
Agency indicates that it has a ‘C’ (Fairly Good) River Quality score.

13. FLOODING AND DRAINAGE

The site is recorded by the Environment Agency as being within an indicative tidal
flood plain. Flood storage capacity and flood level information is not available with
this data.

The site is protected from estuarial flooding from the River Wyre by a sea wall.

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A separate flood risk assessment has been submitted with the planning application.

14. SENSITIVE LAND USES

A Site of Special Scientific Interest (the Wyre Estuary) is situated to the east of the
Water Plant redevelopment area. It is additionally classified as a RAMSAR site.

15. FORMER CHEMICAL PRODUCTION FACILITY

Up until 1933, the land surrounding the Water Plant redevelopment site was farmland.
In 1933 ammonia soda production was started to the north of the relocation site and as
part of the Second World War effort ICI continued to produce chemicals, latterly for
its own purposes until the redevelopment site and surrounding area was part of a
significant chemical complex.

ICI finally closed the most of the production facility in 1997 but a range of materials
was produced and an equally diverse range of raw materials was used across the site
during the intervening years.

16. PRELIMINARY CONCEPTUAL MODEL

Introduction

A preliminary conceptual model is developed to define all of the possible pollutant

linkages, where they may be present in the form of appropriate elements defined by
sources – pathways – receptors.

A source is defined as a hazardous substance or agent that has the potential to cause
harm to a receptor.

A pathway is the means by which a contaminant comes into contact with the receptor.

A receptor is an entity (human being, aquatic environment, flora, fauna etc) that is
vulnerable to the adverse effects of the source (or contaminant).

The entire relationship is referred to as a pollution linkage and all three of the above
elements must be present for an environmental risk to be present.

Sources of Contamination

This review has established that there has been significant development in and around
the Water Plant redevelopment site since the 1930s. It is likely that the ground on
which the development was based was constructed on waste materials that would have
been used to level and prepare the natural ground for the development.

The site itself has a history of chemical manufacture and storage, both of which could

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lead to contamination from the use of organic chemical compounds, namely
chlorinated and other hydrocarbons when manufacturing hexachloroethane and vinyl
chloride.

The ‘Hexa’ and vinyl chloride plants adjacent to the Water Plant redevelopment plot
were demolished in the 1990s and it is possible that some of the demolished materials
could have found their way into the ground. This could present a potential source of
ground contamination and is particularly relevant for former insulation materials, such
as asbestos.

Summary Conceptual Model

A summary model is given below, based upon the previous discussion and analysis of
the environmental study and is presented in tabular form.

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PRELIMINARY CONCEPTUAL MODEL

SOURCE/CONTAMINANTS PATHWAY RECEPTOR

Storage, use and production
of organic chemicals:

From chemical plant operation Surface water transport Groundwater (a

on the ‘Hexa’ and Vinyl from storage/usage controlled water).
Chloride Plants: areas, to be contacted
Petroleum hydrocarbons and mixed with
Chlorinated hydrocarbons groundwater.
Heavy metals
Ingestion of soil. Human residents and
Dermal contact with soil workers.
and dust. Construction workers.
Ingestion of dust.
Inhalation of dust.
Ingestion and inhalation
of vapours in water.
Waste materials in made
ground:

Metals. Ingestion of soil. Human occupants and

Sulphates. Inhalation of dust. workers.
Poly Aromatic Hydrocarbons Construction workers
(PAHs). during site development.
Asbestos from demolition Inhalation of airborne As above.
activities. fibres of asbestos when
the ground is disturbed.
Groundwater contamination
from other chemical
production facilities in close
proximity to Water Plant
redevelopment: Dissolution from soil Controlled waters.
into groundwater. Human exposure to
Aromatic hydrocarbons water.
Petroleum hydrocarbons Vapour inhalation of
Chlorinated hydrocarbons volatile compounds
(petroleum and
chlorinated
hydrocarbons).

The Preliminary Conceptual Model has been presented in this manner to illustrate
what pathways and receptors might arise if the development proceeds without
corrective action being undertaken.

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17. CONCLUSION

The history of the Water Plant redevelopment site has been comprehensively studied
and it is evident that there has been a significant amount of development within and
around the area over the past 75 years.

This has been in the chemical production and storage activities. The site itself was
used to as a store for vinyl chloride and associated materials before it was demolished
to slab level.

The adjacent areas supported vinyl chloride and ‘Hexa’ plant (producing
hexachloroethane). There is, therefore, a possibility of chlorinated and organic
chemical contamination in the groundwater and hence soil from these previous uses as
well as asbestos contamination from demolition activities.

The main sources of contamination were removed many years ago, but it is possible
that spills have contaminated the soil and these still remain and continue to
contaminate the groundwater.

The Preliminary Conceptual Model has identified that whilst these contaminants exist
there is risk that they could lead to potentially sensitive receptors if the ground was
disturbed during construction works, for example.

Mike Lane
Environmental Projects Director
NPL Estates.

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