Management of Excavated Soil and Rocks
In recent years issues regarding the use of earth and rocks resulting from excavations have gained increasing importance on environmental themes. In Italy the management of excavated earth and rocks related to construction industry or public works has been regulated by a series of different laws, amendments and provisions making the subject not easy to understand.
The primary legislation objective has always been to reduce the use of quarry materials, recovering as much as possible materials originated from excavation activities thus restricting extraction and limiting the amount of inert waste, produced during the work, to process in landfills.
Nowadays some of the most significant laws in this context are:
• D.Lgs. 152/2006;
• D.M. 161/2012;
• Law of 109/2013, in particular articles no. 41 and 41bis;
• Law of 164/2014, in particular article no. 8.
Currently, regulations concerning excavated earth and rocks prescribe, through diverse and complex procedures, four possible alternatives summarized as follows:
1) In situ reuse if classified as a non-waste;
2) Use of the material as a by-product;
3) Land designation as an area for waste recovery activity;
4) Material dispatch to landfill.
Management of excavated earth and rocks represents a not completely regulated subject, therefore further changes to the law might be considered highly probable.
Objectives of the work
The experience of VDP in the field of excavation materials originates from consulting activities and assistance during design phase to Authorities and enterprises for the realization of small and large-scale infrastructure.
The main objective of the company is to offer to the Client advice, assistance and development of the soil management Plan with the full run of the authorization procedures for the submission / approval of the Plan.
With the support of a team of specialists, the company can assess and define the correct procedures for the optimal management of soil, both from the regulatory point of view, avoiding to incur in administrative fines, and from the economic point of view looking, where possible, at the maximum reduction of construction site material brought to landfills , favoring the recovery and reuse of soils.
The activity of VDP aims to maximize the amount of spoils to be reused in the same site (or in another production process), while reducing the demand for supply of material from quarry sites. This opportunity will lead to less waste production (resulting in lower disposal) together with a substantial cost savings.
VDP offers and supports companies for an integrated design in order to perform engineering works with a sustainable development of the territory.
Offered services
VDP provides consulting services for the proper management of excavated soil and rock from the initial stages of planning (and therefore the drafting of the Plan of use) until the management and control during operation, providing the obtainment of construction permits and the technical aspects related to the construction site.
VDP provides a comprehensive support to Clients through the following services:
• environmental characterization activities during planning and execution;
• material balance;
• identification of the best solution for the management of excavation materials;
• Development of the plan for the soil use as required by the Authority;
• preliminary environmental due diligence to support the design work;
• management of relations with Public authorities and with control bodies;
• general consultancy for the management of soil and rock excavation thanks to the experience gained over the years.
According to regulatory procedures, VDP evaluates the effective applicability of waste legislation or, through the activities of environmental characterization, defines the excavated material as a sub-product or waste.