ADDITIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHECKS: CONFIRMATION OF INDEPENDENT SPECIALIST CONTRACTOR

See below and attached correspondence from MHCLG:

Dear all,

ADDITIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHECKS: CONFIRMATION OF INDEPENDENT SPECIALIST CONTRACTOR

We wrote to you earlier this week to update you on the progress we are making in conducting environmental checks within the North Kensington area, following the commitment we gave you.

We are pleased to confirm that we have now appointed an independent specialist contractor, AECOM, to undertake the first stage of checks.

The first stage involves an investigation of the local area and gathering all relevant background information, including a site survey and any potential historical sources of pollution. An ‘initial risk assessment’ report setting out the findings from this stage will be produced and published. We expect this stage to take about three months from start to finish.

AECOM is a large global company, with proven expertise in land contamination investigations. The company was involved in environmental work following 9/11 and worked on the remediation and construction of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum.

You can find out more about AECOM in the UK on their website – www.aecom.com/uk. The Government is managing and overseeing AECOM’s work, which is being administered by the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. This ensures the results of these checks are managed in accordance with relevant legislation (Part 2A of the Environment Protection Act).

On top of this, the work is also being overseen by a group of independent scientific advisers known as the Science Advisory Group. This group is made up of thirteen science professionals and chaired by the Government’s Chief Scientific Adviser, Sir Patrick Vallance.

It includes Professor Anna Stec, who completed local soil sampling work. The Science Advisory Group will also consider Professor Stec’s initial findings as part of their work.

AECOM has now started designing the process for undertaking this work. We want to ensure local representatives are as involved in this process as possible so have ensured AECOM arrange to meet and hear directly from you by hosting community workshops. You will be invited to these in the coming weeks.

Alongside these opportunities, we will also write to you regularly, and our teams leading this work can be contacted directly by email: environmental-checks@communities.gov.uk. For the most up-to-date information, you can download the Nextdoor app on iOS and Android devices, or visit www.nextdoor.co.uk and search for Grenfell Community Updates - HM Government.