Guide Informe base de suelo

If you have any doubts about the soil base report, here is everything you need to know about it:

What is a soil baseline report?
A baseline report is an investigation or characterisation of the subsoil, in order to quantitatively assess the state of the soil and groundwater. 

What is the purpose of this report?
It is an instrument that allows a quantitative comparison to be made between the state of the site of an activity at the time of the Base Report and the definitive cessation of the activity.

With this report we will assess whether the soil and/or groundwater has been contaminated.

Who must do the Baseline Soil Report?
Companies listed in Annex 1 of Directive 2010/75/EU of 24 November 2010 on industrial emissions (integrated pollution prevention and control), commonly known as the IED Directive.

Why do you need to do it?
This report is a requirement for obtaining environmental authorisation or renewing it. It is required by Law 5/2013 and the Law on Waste and Contaminated Soil.

When does it have to be done?
The report must be done in the case of activities which:

Are starting their activity for the first time.
Are in the process of renewing their environmental authorisation.
Make a substantial change to their current environmental authorisation.
What does the basic soil report consist of?
The base report is a personalised study for each company, taking into account its specific location.
In order to prepare it, it is necessary to take a series of boreholes in the ground to take soil samples and piezometers to sample the groundwater.

In order to determine the number of boreholes and the type, aspects such as the history of the soil, previous activities, raw materials used by the activity and accidents that have occurred, among others, are taken into account. As this is a customised study, each activity may require a different number of borings.

The soil baseline report consists of 4 distinct parts: 

1. Characterisation of the activity
This defines the current activity and the hazardous substances currently used, as well as the history of substances that may have been used in the past (either by the activity itself or by other activities that have been on the same site).

2. Characterisation of the environment
A quantitative geological and hydrogeological description is carried out on the basis of the soil and groundwater samples.

3. Interpretation and evaluation of the results
The results obtained must be evaluated according to the criteria established by the Agència de Residus de Catalunya (ARC) for soils and the Agència Catalana de l'Aigua (ACA) for water.

4. Methodology for the comparison of the state of the soil between the time of cessation and the base report.
The report must also include the methodology to be used to compare the state of the soil once the activity has been definitively ceased. 

What do you do if you want more information about the Baseline Soil Report?
If you need a soil base report but still have doubts, Contact us and we will advise you without obligation.

Let TMI be your environmental department.