Recital (64)

In order to ensure that soil investigations on potentially contaminated sites are carried out in a timely and effective manner, Member States should, in addition to the obligation to establish the timeframe within which soil investigations should be carried out, be required to identify specific events that trigger such investigations. Such triggering events could include the request for, or review of, an environmental or building permit or an authorisation required pursuant to Union or national law, soil excavation activities, land use changes, or land or real estate transactions. Soil investigations could follow different stages, such as a preliminary desk study, site-specific historic study to collect information about past industrial activities, incidents or accidents, site visit, preliminary or exploratory investigation, more detailed or descriptive investigation, and field or laboratory testing, and could include a site-specific assessment of the risks the contamination poses to human health and the environment. If contamination is found, the soil investigation should form the basis of the characterisation of the contamination and its environmental context and provide basic information for the site-specific risk assessment and the design of any risk reduction measures that might be necessary. Baseline reports and monitoring measures implemented in accordance with Directive 2010/75/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council could also qualify as soil investigation where appropriate.