Biophysical Attributes and Major Degradation Issues for the London Olympic Stadium - Term Paper Example

Environmental Studies Name: Course: Instructor: Institution: Date of Submission: (Cover Page) Table of Content (Cover Page) 1 Table of Content 2 BIOPHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES AND MAJOR DEGRADATION ISSUES FOR THE LONDON OLYMPIC STADIUM 3 1.0.Introduction 3 2.0.Biophysical Attributes of the London Olympic Stadium 3 2.1.Climate Attributes 3 2.2.Geology Characteristics of the Area 4 2.3.Soils Biophysical Attributes 6 2.4.Vegetation and Fauna Resources 6 2.5.Water Biophysical Attributes of the LOS 7 3.0.Major Degradation Issues of the London Olympic Stadium 7 3.1.Toxic Waste 7 3.2.Geology 8 3.3.Climatic Conditions 9 4.0.Strategies for Mitigation/ Rehabilitation 10 4.1.Climate Mitigation Strategies 10 4.2.Geology Mitigation Strategies 10 4.3.Soil Mitigation Strategies 11 4.4.Vegetation and Fauna resources Mitigation Strategies 12 4.5.Water Mitigation Strategies 12 5.0.Conclusion 13 6.0.References 14 BIOPHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES AND MAJOR DEGRADATION ISSUES FOR THE LONDON OLYMPIC STADIUM 1.0. Introduction The current London Olympic Stadium is the second stadium to be developed, after the first developed in 1908 had land issues and had to be closed. The first stadium had issues when there was a volcano eruption in the stadium. The report evaluates the current London Olympic stadium and the land issues it may have. It begins by presenting the biophysical land issues and major degradation issues it may be facing now or in the future. Additionally, it ends by presenting the strategies and mitigation processes that may be used to solve the land issues identified. 2.0. Biophysical Attributes of the London Olympic Stadium 2.1. Climate Attributes Climate issues relating to the London Olympic stadium are mainly tied to the high emissions of Carbon dioxide expected from the activities that occur in the stadium. That is; the activities rely highly on energy sources mainly electricity, where with an increase in the electricity consumption, there is an increase in the CO2 released in the atmosphere. During the development of the stadium, it was supposed to be a green Olympics. The EDF was given the bid to sponsor the Olympics with energy from sources such as wind power; it would provide 24MW. The Olympic would also have a power plant with biomass boilers to help in the energy consumed during cooling and heating. However, the energy consumed during the entire Olympic Games cannot be precisely defined leading to the application of conservative estimates. For instance, in UK the estimates included 550 tons of annual emissions of CO2. Thus, it is defined that the probable emission would fall at a 3.4million CO2 emissions. Thus, since the arrangements were made on vague estimations, the climate impact of the Olympic Games has been high emissions. Thus, climate issues related to the high CO2 emissions is a challenge due to the impacts it has on the world generally besides London. The construction of the London Olympic stadium will need major construction projects. Though recycling of waste will be used in the construction processes, the major CO2 emissions of the stadium is through the construction projects. Thus, it is challenging to offset carbon emissions throughout the construction projects. The problem is also perceived in that through the processes of offsetting CO2 emissions, the large amounts of money will be spent in the environmental projects to counter the CO2 emissions. This, when the costs are high the process of offsetting the emissions is not fully attained leading to a high pollution rate. Offsetting the CO2 emissions through the construction projects is not a reliable solution to the problem identified (Singh, 2012). 2.2. Geology Characteristics of the Area The area where the LOS is to be developed is on the lower side of the Lea Valley from London’s East End. Thus, this stipulates that there is a high possibility that during construction and operations of the business, it will encounter challenges of high ground water levels and compressible soils. As such, the development/ constructions of the London Olympic Stadium foundation will be challenged and may be very weak. More importantly, issues such the soil contamination from the previous use of land with pollutants such as petrol and oil will affect the supply of water throughout the stadium, which may affect the health of the people building on it unless effectively treated (Royse, 2012). (Royse, 2012) 3D Geological Model of the Lower Lea Valley in London The construction of the LOS based on the geology of the location will be developed on grounds that are difficult. It will have numerous time and cost overruns due to the high possible unforseen ground conditions. The surface is shallow as presented in the 3D figure above since the geometry and distribution of different rocks will be difficult for engineering. The usage of the land previousl for chemical staorage contaminated the land generally. Thus, to understand the geology of the land through possible ground hazards, planning has to include identifying the contaminants on the land while assessing this risks to identify how to manage the issues. It will present the possible pollutants in the area and the possible flooding pathways among others to ensure thedevelopment processes are well planned. (Royse, 2012) Susceptibility Hazards Map in the Land The map helps identify the unconsolidated materials such as gravel and sand deposits variably in the area. The map presents that the area as numerous deposits that may affect the construction of the LOS since they cannot be identified easily, mainly the areas with high water pressure that may rise above ground levels or areas with river gravels. Thus, planning and making the land viable for the development of the LOS will be expensive. 2.3. Soils Biophysical Attributes The London Olympic Stadium construction was to be constructed on a previously developed land. The land was considered a brownfield land, previously used for commercial purposes. For commercial purposes, it was used as a chemical storage facility, presenting more challenges besides the brownfield land of vast contamination of the soil. A brownfield land stipulates that the land has high possible pollution issues related to soil contamination and hazardous wastes (ATKINS, 2012). The land is contaminated from previously commercial usage of land and the soil contamination possibly from the fact that the land is a brownfield. Thus, building the London Olympic Stadium (LOS) at the land will be more expensive due to the need of cleaning up from any possible contamination (Forest Research, 2013). Thus, the disadvantage of the soil attributes of the location the LOS will be built on is due to the fact that the land has to be destroyed and cleaned before its usage, which is highly expensive. The brownfield site like many other sites may create challenges during operations related to issues such as traffic and noise pollution due to the previous usage of land and soil/ waste contamination. According to (Royal BAM Group nv, 2010), the soil is contaminated by tar, oil, lead, petroleum, arsenic and cyanide. 2.4. Vegetation and Fauna Resources The stadium will be built on a large area, where a partial of it had wildlife habitat where most of the birds including bats are in boxes. The east end part had newts that were not so endangered. This eliminated the need for finding licences to construct in the land, which would have consumed years to get the permit. The location of the lower lea valley has been a haven for landfills among many other environmental challenges that do not support vegetation or other fauna resources. The lower lea valley area is one of the most contaminated areas where soil, and air pollution are ranked major pollutants. More importantly, the River Lea meets the Thames River, which used to be an industrial water pathway, which remains polluted to date. Thus, the contamination of the area is very high and will require numerous works of cleaning for the Olympic stadium to be developed. A large area has green roof vegetation which includes vegetation’s such as moss, and wildflowers. 2.5. Water Biophysical Attributes of the LOS The soil contamination, which is very fast as presented, also presents that the groundwater in the area is very contaminated. The land is worse than many would expected, but it can be cleared and cleaned for the redevelopment of the Olympic stadium. The pollution of the soil has contaminated the ground water with chlorinated solvents through leaking underground (Barley, 2010). The soil has to be cleaned, which will be followed by the water cleaning to ensure the solvents from the soil cannot contaminate the water anymore. The development and planning of the area also has to consider the geology of the land. The flooding and water pathways of the area should be developed to encompass the possible challenges of high ground water levels (Barley, 2010). During heavy rains, this may hinder the operations of the stadium, which stipulates it is also a major physical issue to be managed during the construction process. 3.0. Major Degradation Issues of the London Olympic Stadium 3.1. Toxic Waste The areas as depicted through analysis was formerly used as an industrial zone. The land has also been considered a brownfield land, which depicts that the land is contaminated. Thus, the land is unsafe due to soil and underground water contamination from the nature of the field as a brownfield and industrial leaking of tar, oil, lead, petroleum, arsenic and cyanide. The land will require cleaning up for the soil and water due to the leaking of the pollutants on the soil to the water as well (Bushby & Herld, 2012). The contaminated soil will pose serious hazards that also contaminates the water. The contamination of the land is challenging since it will also affect the health of workers and the local population in the area (Barley, 2010). The land has been a home for many landfills over the years, which has affected the contamination of the land. That is; besides the former use of the land which contaminated the land, the landfills have affected the area through pollution of the air due to the foul smelling in the Lea Valley caused by the industrial waste. The chemical factory contaminates the land, which also contaminates the groundwater. The Thames River was used as an industrial pathway for chemical and industrial wastes in the area, which has led to the contamination of the soil and water in the area (Forest Research, 2013). The toxic waste affects the environment through the increased energy consumption and pollution to ensure that the energy pollution is zero waste. However, due to the usage of the renewable energy, the sustainability during planning will be considered. The land has numerous amounts of contaminated soil, which affects the toxic waste in the land (CW, 2012). 3.2. Geology The Olympic Stadium is proposed to be developed on a shallow area. Thus, the land possess challenges of flooding due to the high water levels in the area. The landscape of the area has to alter the hydrology of the region to ensure that the area does not flood to ensure the overland route that connects the low and the high ground does not flood. Thus, the site construction would have to include models to ensure that flooding and dumping risks are managed (Barley, 2010). The geology of the area degrades the land due to the possible problems it possesses to the successful operations of the land as presented in the report. The land is highly degraded, which has been highly affected by the increase in the usage of the land that contaminates the soil, making it challenging for the planners. That is; the application includes the need to analyse the chemical properties in the land, the stones including their strengths and permeability to determine how the constructions will be supported effectively on the land. Planning has to be considered through different engineers to ensure that the problem of flooding, which is the major geological problem is handled prior to developing to a major issue. 3.3. Climatic Conditions The land is contaminated, which stipulates that when it is windy the dust that may be inhaled is harmful to the people and entire population in the area. More importantly, the lands contamination, stipulates that there is a high possibility of rain water in the area, which is harmful also to the construction and other operations anticipated to occur in the area (Royal BAM Group nv, 2010). However, despite such factors that degrade the land, it will be the best place to redevelop the stadium, since it will support the lifestyle in the area including providing jobs to the highly unemployed people in the region (Royse, 2012). Most of the land is highly contaminated, the development of the stadium will help plan and clean the land, which will improve the manner in which the people live (Barley, 2010). The former usage of the land has led to the environmental degradation that includes air pollution as well. That is; the chemical storage facility and industrial Thames River as a pathway for waste has led to the soil contamination and water of the area, which has led to the deforestation in the area seen from the poor housing and lack of vegetation in the area, biodiversity loss, and soil, air and water pollution. The stadium development will be a process of managing this degradation while confronting the poverty in the area. It will ensure environmental sustainability in the area. The degradation including the toxic waste issue could be managed effectively through wastewater treatment and management and soil washing to prevent further land degradation. The major degradation issues of the land are perceived as soil, and water contamination and the geology of the area, which is prone to landfills and has a high number of contaminants underneath and on the surface. This will be managed through the increase in increase soil washing and wastewater management to ensure it is ready for the construction projects. 4.0. Strategies for Mitigation/ Rehabilitation 4.1. Climate Mitigation Strategies Climate issues occur through the high CO2 emissions that pollute the environment largely. This can be mitigated through emission reduction without using the offsetting process as a solution. The main strategy to climate challenges is ensuring that most of the energy sources come from renewable sources. That is; during cleaning of the land and energy sources such as generators are used, there is a high probability that they will leak oil to the ground leading to additional contamination of the land. Thus, to avoid such incidences, renewable energy sources are used, and the usage of electricity and other sources is monitored to ensure that the air pollution, as well as soil and water pollution are managed. 4.2. Geology Mitigation Strategies The geology of the location for the LOS is shallow, which presents possible engineering difficult. However, prior to the construction, the nature of the ground could be understood using several ways to ensure that the possible challenges of ground are understood to develop better construction plans. For instance, the development of the borehole will help understand the groundwater level of the area to be used. More importantly, the different types of rocks in the area including their compressibility, permeability and strength of the rocks to determine the risk on instability and contamination of the rocks/ the area generally. This information will also help understand the ground level changes that have been due to the human activities through how the land has been used previously. This information will help to plan effectively on how the construction will be made through ground investigation to ensure planning supports the construction processes. Since the site is directly at the end of the Southern end between river lea and tributaries of the Bow Back Rivers, this waterways should be modified to ensure the operations of the stadium are not affected when the ground water levels rise. (Bushby & Herld, 2012) Waterways surrounding the LOS 4.3. Soil Mitigation Strategies Soil issues could be mitigated through engaging in a detailed analysis and evaluation of the land to clean it up. This will ensure that previous contamination from how the land was used, and the soil contamination of the land itself are managed effectively to eliminate possible future challenges of operations within the stadium such as drainage problems. Soil washing will clean the soil effectively for use for the LOS without any future challenges of contaminated soil. Soil Analysis Process The process will ensure all contaminants and pollutants in the soils are identified. To model the geology of the site after cleaning the site and determining the current state of art will show how far the digging will go for the foundations to be strong as needed (Barley, 2010). Soil cleaning/ washing will consist of pilling the soil on physical beds and nourishing it with dairy products and vegetable oils to break the impurity in the soil. 4.4. Vegetation and Fauna resources Mitigation Strategies The problem of vegetation and fauna is not a serious one mainly because the land is polluted and no endangered species of vegetation or animals exist in the area. However, to be able to grow some plants or trees in the stadium, the issue of soil and water contamination must be handled. Thus, the strategies to solving the vegetation challenges lie in solving the water, soil and geology issues of the area. 4.5. Water Mitigation Strategies The water challenges of water contamination can be mitigated through soil cleaning. That is; the water is polluted due to the solvents that penetrate the soil and reach the ground water contaminating it. Additionally, the construction occurs in the River Lea area, which connects to the Thames River that used to be an industrial waterway, which to date remains polluted. Thus, through soil cleaning the underground water can be cleaned as well to ensure the challenge is not experienced during the construction of the stadium followed by a wastewater treatment strategy. On the other hand, the area where the construction is meant to occur is very shallow, which stipulates that the ground water level is very high. As such, it is important that during the planning and designing of the construction projects, flooding pathways are considered to ensure when the water level is high, it does not pollute the environment. The construction of the stadium projects should occur in the way that potential flooding areas are changed mainly through the development of a wetland on the river banks to ensure when the water level rises, the surplus water is spilled to the surrounding land. Underground pipes with long life could also be constructed to drain water from risky areas to other areas without such challenges. 5.0. Conclusion To ensure the construction does not lead to the development of future problems in the operations of the London Olympic Stadium, at each design and construction project stage, the environmental and engineering problems and solutions should be developed for the success of the stadium. During the development of the mitigating solutions to the problems identified, issues such as quality, cost and performance should be considered effectively to manage the issues at a cost expensive process during the design, construction and planning stages. It includes considering the environmental issues related to noise, climate and land pollution among many others presented in the study above. Building on the polluted land is unavoidable since the area is the best location based need to transform the area to modern society eliminating the poor housing projects and unemployment issues among many others as presented in the proposal. 6.0. References ATKINS, 2012. Enabling the Olympic Park. [Online] Available at: http://www.atkinsglobal.com/en-gb/media-centre/features/enabling-olympic-park [Accessed 20 5 2017]. Barley, S., 2010. Going for Green at the Olympics. New Scientists, pp. 1-1 Retrieved from:https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20827802-000-going-for-green-at-the-olympics/. Bushby, H. & Herld, C., 2012. London 2012: Ten Facts about the Olympic Stadium. BBC News, pp. 1-1 Retrieved from: http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-17905304. CW, 2012. The Real Environmental Impacts of Holding the Olympic in East London. Corporate Watch, pp. 1-1 Retrieved from: https://corporatewatch.org/news/2012/jul/26/real-environmental-impacts-holding-olympics-east-london. Forest Research, 2013. Regeneration of Previously Developed Land. Benefits of Green Infrastructure Case Study, pp. 1-4 Retrieved from: https://www.forestry.gov.uk/pdf/urgp_case_study_028_Olympic_park.pdf/$FILE/urgp_case_study_028_Olympic_park.pdf. Royal BAM Group nv, 2010. Olympic Park Soil-Washing Complete and Green Build on Track. [Online] Available at: http://www.bam.com/en/press/press-releases/olympic-park-soil-washing-complete-and-green-build-on-track [Accessed 22 5 2017]. Royse, K., 2012. NERC: Grounds for Success. [Online] Available at: http://www.nerc.ac.uk/planetearth/stories/1212/ [Accessed 22 5 2017]. Singh, T., 2012. 6 Ways in Which London 2012 has Failed to be "The Green Olyympics". Inhabitat, pp. 1-1 Retieved from: http://inhabitat.com/6-ways-in-which-london-2012-has-failed-to-be-the-green-olympics/. Read More