Background

Emma Arnold formed RK Environment in 2009 following ten years as a manager at one of the UK’s top environmental consultancies, ENVIRON and prior to this also worked at Parkman Environment (now Mouchel Parkman). Emma specialises in contaminated land investigation, risk assessment and remediation.

Emma has considerable experience in the UK property sector and has been a regular advisor to some of the UK’s largest investment funds, property developers and law practitioners with regards to environmental risks within property transactions.  Emma’s experience is wide ranging and she has been involved with the majority of potentially contaminative industrial profiles including petrol stations, gas works, tar and oil refineries, tanneries and numerous miscellaneous engineering and manufacturing facilities.  Emma also has considerable experience advising on remediation and risk assessment projects and is regularly involved in developing conceptual models using both qualitative and probabilistic quantitative methods.

Professional Activities

Property Experience

Whilst at her previous company, Emma was a regular advisor to Standard Life, Legal & General and CBRE and worked on some of the UK’s most prestigious property transactions. Emma specialises in UK and mainland European property acquisitions and developments including preparation of Phase I and Phase II reports, review of third party reports and supervision of remediation projects.  

Emma has particular experience advising on liabilities from former landfills, tar works and gas work sites and was lead environmental consultant during a £200m PFI hospital development on a former landfill, where she advised on potential liabilities, estimated remedial costs and design of remedial measures to enable development.

Risk Assessment Experience

At her previous company, Emma was retained by a major utility supplier to provide advice during cable oil leaks adjacent to a public water supply wells in the chalk aquifer. Work included investigation, sampling and risk assessment to assess risks to the public water supply wells and liaison with the Environment Agency and Thames water regarding possible risks.

Emma was also retained by a manufacturer in Swindon when threatened with prosecution due to a leaking diesel tank. Emma’s advice to the client aided in the swift remediation of the problem and avoided legal action being taken by the regulatory authorities.

Emma was retained by a major manufacturer to voluntarily investigate a diesel and TCE spillage in Birmingham. Work involved detailed investigation and profiling of contaminant migration within a fractured rock aquifer. Later work involved the liaison with the regulatory authorities, risk assessment and supervision of remedial works.

Remediation Experience

Emma’s remediation experience has included the design and implementation of a number of remedial schemes across a range of sites. Work has included the preparation of remedial strategies, detailed remedial specifications, tendering and interviewing of prospective contractors and advising clients regarding tender submissions.

Recent projects include :

• Installation of a bentonite cut-off wall and the treatment of soil and groundwater contamination with solvents at a former glue works.

• Bioremediation of hydrocarbon contaminated soils and extraction of free phase product from groundwater at a former coach works.

• Bioremediation and remediation of heavy end hydrocarbons at a former tar works and extraction of free phase product from groundwater.

• Installation of a multi-phase extraction system for the remediation of diesel with the Chalk aquifer.

• Remediation of hydrocarbon and solvent contamination using ORC/HRC.

• Numerous multi-disciplined remediation projects at former gas work sites. 

Education

• 1995 BSc Geology and Geography IIi, Brunel University.
• 1997 MSc Applied Environmental Geology, University of Wales, Cardiff.

Registrations & Affiliations

• Associate Member of the Institute of Environmental Management & Assessment.
• Fellow of the Geological Society.

To contact Emma Arnold please email her at:

enquiries@rkenvironment.co.uk