Page 133 - Beyond Decommissioning

114 Beyond Decommissioning

The case is different though at chemical sites, which are closely integrated and where
decommissioning of a part of the site interferes with operation of the rest of the site
(International Atomic Energy Agency, 2006).
Restricted use entails reliance upon institutional control. Such control can consist
of warnings against trespassing and/or fencing (Fig. 2.11). Administrative measures
can impose planning restrictions at local or national level. The applicability and effi-
ciency of controls vary from country to country, depending on traditions, to what
extent competent authorities enforce rules, and the economic conditions of the coun-
try. In several cases scarcity of land, political turmoil, or broken communications have
caused reoccupation of contaminated land. Redevelopment alternatives counting on
institutional control need to be assessed pragmatically (International Atomic
Energy Agency, 2002).
A related environmental point is the environmental impact from the demolition of
old buildings and facilities; this includes airborne particulates (e.g., contaminated dust)
and noxious gases, noise, and occupational and public risk (e.g., falling loads, unex-
pected structural collapse). Several cases of botched explosions have been reported
where a building did not collapse as planned: to complete demolition, workers had
to reenter the partly damaged building—a dangerous activity indeed—and, recover
unexploded charges, place more explosives. By contrast, environmental contamination
and public inconvenience caused by demolition will be prevented by adaptive reuse.
Finally, a note about greyfield, a term coined in the early 2000s. Greyfield land
(or just greyfield) is economically obsolescent, outdated, moribund, or underused
land. “Greyfield” is a relative new term as compared to brownfield or greenfield.
The term has been typically used for formerly viable commercial sites (such as
regional malls and outlets) that have been little upgraded and have been surpassed
by larger, better designed, or more conveniently located sites of a similar nature.
Typically shopping malls have been replaced by lifestyle centers, which combine
the traditional retail functions with leisure amenities oriented toward upscale con-
sumers. In many cases, buildings left at greyfields are just empty shells.
Unlike brownfields, which include real or suspected levels of environmental con-
tamination, greyfields do not require remediation to attract an investor. Their value
often resides in underlying infrastructure (such as plumbing and sewerage, electrical
systems, foundations, parking, etc.), or a central location, which allows the investor to
better the site and makes it more profitable. For the purposes of this book greyfields
offer little new to discuss compared to either greenfields or brownfields, therefore no
further mention will be made of this category.

5.6 Long-term site mission

The site being redeveloped may have been associated for decades to a specified indus-
trial mission, for example, R&D or electricity generation. This has involved the estab-
lishment of a dedicated infrastructure (be it public or privately owned), which can
justify the continued use of the site for similar activities, perhaps with adaptations
to changed circumstances. However, recognition that the long-term mission of a site