The communities and local government department has published guidelines on the safe removal of rubble, debris and other materials deposited due to an incident or event making an area unsafe or unusable (bit.ly/1YZyVdf).
Examples in the UK of such incidents include the petrochemical fire at Buncefield in 2005, the bombings in Manchester and London in 1996 and 2007, the flooding in Boscastle, Cornwall in 2004, and the widespread flooding in 2007, 2013/14 and 2015/16.
Objectives of a site clearance operation include: the decontamination of rubble and debris and returning the area to an agreed level of safety; and ensuring environmental impacts from site clearance are appropriately controlled.
Site Clearance Capability: a guide for effective local planning, response and recovery supplements more in-depth guidance from Defra and the Environment Agency on decontamination issues and detecting, identifying, monitoring and managing hazardous materials.