The Importance of Environmental Consulting

Whilst environmental consulting might seem like a time consuming and unnecessary expense, it is actually a process that will ultimately benefit your business and is crucial to preserving both human health and the environment. But that’s not all an environmental consultant does. They’re also experts at spreading awareness around the community or in the workplace. In this article, we’ll look at some of the reasons why environmental consulting is a crucial service for not only urban sites – but the general community as well.

Protects the community

One of the most important functions of an environmental consultant is investigating levels of pollution and making contaminated sites suitable for work and habitation. Since it was founded in 1835, Melbourne has been a hub of agriculture, industry and enterprise. As a result, there are thousands of sites in and around the inner city with a history of pollution which pose a threat to human health. 

Environmental consulting is about protecting and improving the health of the environment and its community by identifying sites with hazardous contamination levels. If a site is discovered to be hazardous then they assist in remediating or managing them so that they can be safely used by Melbourne’s growing population. This ties in closely with phase I site assessments – and phase II & III if necessary – as the environmental consultants are the ones that carry out the environmental site assessments.

Environmental consultants are also trained and qualified to carry out other assessments and tests such as asbestos and soil testing and groundwater assessment – all of which are involved in a phase II site assessment. Environmental consulting doesn’t always mean hands-on work, however, and sometimes the consulting comes in the form of professional advice. 

Spreads environmental awareness

Environmental consulting helps spread environmental awareness in a commercial context and encourages companies and developers to actively manage the impact their business has on the environment. Whilst EPA legislation forces businesses and developers to put the environment on their agenda, it’s the environmental consultants who help them develop realistic management and remediation processes which balances commercial considerations with those of the environment. 

By doing this, environmental consultation is helping businesses to think about their relationship to the environment and understand that it is possible to be both commercially successful and environmentally responsible. Of course, environmental consulting doesn’t only concern spreading awareness in a professional and commercial capacity, but also in smaller ways. 

Something as simple as suggesting changes that a small office can make to their day-to-day activities – whether it’s having some green plants around the office or setting up specific recycling bins. Even if the business’s activities do not include the purchase of possibly contaminated sites, a difference can still be made in other, smaller ways.

Heals and protects the environment

Another important function of an environmental consultant is to reduce the impact of industrial or agricultural activity on the surrounding environment. This involves remediating the damage done by over a hundred years of industrial activity around Melbourne. The work that environmental consultants do is helping to preserve Victoria’s unique ecosystems for future generations.

Ensures best practices

Environmental consultations help businesses become responsible for the impact of their activities and implement sustainable waste management plans. By providing businesses and contaminated site owners practical management plans, environmental consultants ensure that industry standards are maintained and that the business employs best practices when it comes to protecting both the environment and human health.

A good environmental consultant will always aim to give you exactly what you need and not try to oversell you on something you don’t need. For example, it is generally recommended that a phase I environmental site assessment is performed on a newly acquired site before work is commenced on it. However, just because a phase I assessment is being performed, it doesn’t mean that phase II is necessary. The findings found during the first phase will solely dictate whether or not a second phase is necessary – this is something that you should understand.

Does your business need environmental consulting?

If you’ve acquired a site recently that you would like to commence work on – then you should ensure that it’s safe to work on and run a business from – as this can save you a lot of hassle and money in the long run. If this is the case, then Alpha Environmental have you covered as one of Melbourne’s leading environmental consulting agencies. We also offer professional advice to all sorts of businesses.

Our environmental consultants are highly trained and qualified professionals with years of hands-on experience. Some of the services we offer include groundwater assessmentPhase I – III environmental site assessmentsasbestos testing and soil testing. Our environmental consultants will be able to assist you with any of the above services.

So, if you’re in need of environmental consulting in Melbourne, then please consider getting in touch with us by calling 1300 039 181. Alternatively, you can fill out the enquiry form on our website.