The site is located at Eshiels near Peebles. The site was previously a gas works and at the time operating as a depot and licenced Waste Transfer Station for the Scottish Borders Council.
Ground investigations showed the site to be overlain by made ground with a variable thickness of between 0.2 – 6.5m bgl. The made ground being underlain by alluvium deposits extending to depths of over 11m bgl. Geological maps indicate the above to be underlain by Llandovery Formations (Gala), comprising medium to thick bedded and coarse-grained sandstones with thin siltstones.
Shallow groundwater was encountered between 0.6 – 8.0m bgl. The direction of groundwater flow was in an easterly direction, towards the River Tweed.
The prime concerns were the protection of offsite groundwater receptors and particularly the River Tweed. An Envirotreat Permeable Reactive Barrier (PRB) was considered the best available solution to achieve the required outcomes for the site and protection of offsite receptor. An E-Clay PRB was shown to not only address all contaminants of concern within the groundwater to the required clean up criteria, but well within the available funding.
