Impact of Environmental Contamination on Construction Projects

The purpose of this paper is to provide the construction contracting community with a better understanding of the impacts of discovering unforeseen environmental contamination on a project site and to provide practical guidelines for mitigating such an occurrence. A literature review reveals a limited amount of research in the area of assessing the impact of environmental contamination on construction projects. A summary of the legal framework that contractors work in is provided. To better understand the impacts of environmental contamination, research was conducted on construction projects as they relate primarily to project cost and schedule issues. The research methodology involved both a survey and a case-study approach. Results from the survey showed that 13 of the 14 projects surveyed suffered some level of impact; the impact varied because each project was unique in terms of resources available for the job, overall job strategy, and the nature of the contract. The case studies involved a detailed description of three projects included in the survey phase of this project. Practical guidelines are provided to contractors to avoid such occurrences or mitigate problems when contamination is unexpectedly found on the site.