Fuel Storage guidance developed by EPS is taken up by the Environment Agency

Last year EPS issued a decision making tool to help assess different fuel infrastructure requirements at new or refurbished petrol filling stations, depending on the environmental sensitivity of the location. Known to us as the “Fuel Feasibility Decision Matrix”, it was intended as a high level guide at feasibility stage to help establish the likely outcome and associated costs for the development.

The matrix was initially developed as an internal document to aid discussions in support of client projects but following further conversations with and comments by contacts in the fuel retail industry and key personnel at the Environment Agency (EA), EPS is pleased to announce that the EA has adopted the matrix internally as a high level best practice guide. This means that projects involving fuel storage can confidently use the matrix as a guide to help improve cost and programme certainty early in the programme and even at feasibility stage.

The EA’s Technical Specialist Simon Deacon says “The Environment Agency’s National Contaminated Groundwater teams are using this matrix as an internal tool to evaluate further information from developers and support decision making. It has been very helpful to a number of our teams already, particularly when we’re having technical discussions with developers.”

“Our aim has always been to help reduce risk and uncertainty for our clients and provide greater cost and programme certainty when new sites or upgrades are initially considered. We are thrilled to learn that the EA have found our Fuel Feasibility Matrix so useful. It means others can also benefit from using this tool in fuel storage development projects to ascertain and understand potential regulatory concerns from the outset.” says director Will Evans from EPS.

Download the EPS Fuel Storage Decision Matrix (pdf) here.

EPS are Cambridge based geotechnical and environmental engineers. Established 15 years ago by founding directors Will Evans and Giles Lock, the company now employs over 20 staff working on contaminated land and development projects across the UK for clients varying from fuel retailers to planners, land agents, architects and house builders.

Contacts for further information:

Will Evans, Director, EPS Ltd -  wevans@epstrategies.co.uk - tel: 01951 710666

Simon Deacon, Technical Specialist: Groundwater, Hydrogeology, Contaminated Land - simon.deacon@environment-agency.gov.uk