National Assembly for Wales

To propose that the Senedd:  

1. Notes:

a)  Wales's legacy of potentially contaminated land arising from its industrial past, which can pose severe risks to human health, animal health and the wider environment; 

b) that much of this land contamination is due to historic industrial activity, with the burden of managing liabilities often falling on local communities and public authorities; 

c) the absence of a clear or consistent national picture of potentially contaminated land across Wales; 

d) the long-term concern and uncertainty often experienced by communities living near these sites; and 

e) the importance of the ‘polluter pays’ principle in ensuring that those responsible contribute to the costs of addressing its remediation. 

2. Acknowledges the work already undertaken by local authorities, Natural Resources Wales, and other bodies to identify, investigate and remediate contaminated land.

3. Calls on the Welsh Government to: 

a) work together with the UK Government to ensure that the costs of remediation are borne by those responsible for polluting;  

b) call on the UK Government to introduce a dedicated funding mechanism to support the investigation and remediation of contaminated land, where costs cannot be recovered from those responsible; 

c) establish a national framework for the testing and assessment of potentially contaminated land, prioritising sites that pose the greatest risks; and 

d) support local authorities to fulfil their statutory responsibilities.