What are PRSA (Preliminary Risk Screening Assessments)?
Preliminary Risk Screening Assessments or PRSA helps you to understand whether there is any potentially contaminated land and determines whether an environmental audit is required. Unlike an environmental audit, a preliminary assessment can be a cost-effective way of determining whether an audit is necessary. This is required by local councils, planning authorities or government agencies prior to the development of your site.
Purpose of Preliminary Risk Screening Assessments PRSA
The purpose of a PRSA is:
- to assess the likelihood of the presence of contaminated land
- to determine if an environmental audit is required
- if an environmental audit is required, perform the scope for the environmental audit recommended by the environmental auditor
How to complete a PRSA?
To get a PRSA conducted for your site, you can engage an Ultra Environmental consultant and environmental auditor separately. This involves the following:
- we undertake the PSI, in accordance with the National Environmental Protection (Assessment of Site Contamination) Measure 1999 as amended 2013.
- the PSI may require some sampling of soil, soil vapour or groundwater to confirm that contamination is not present
- the environmental auditor assesses the PSI.
Outcomes of a PRSA
Some of the outcomes can include:
- the site is not contaminated and an environmental audit is not needed
- the site is contaminated, but an environmental audit is not required. This might be due to the fact that despite contamination, there is no risk of harm based on the proposed development
- the site is contaminated and an environmental audit is needed.
