CL:AIRE is a UK charity committed to providing a valuable service for all those involved in sustainable land reuse.
We develop training resources, disseminate information and act as a credible resource for all stakeholders, ensuring we remain at the cutting-edge of best practice and innovation.

 

Improving efficiency & raising standards
Improving efficiency & raising standards
Definition of Waste Code of Practice (DoWCoP), National Quality Mark Scheme for Land Affected by Contamination (NQMS), Asbestos in Soil, SuRF...
Supporting our Members
Supporting our Members
Find out about the benefits of becoming a CL:AIRE Principal or Supporter Member:- Member discounts, Networking, Working Groups, ...
Sharing Knowledge & Developing People
Sharing Knowledge & Developing People
Water and Land Library ( WALL), Continuing Professional development through Training and workshops...
CL:AIRE Membership
CL:AIRE works with its Members to raise awareness and pursue shared objectives in land, water and environmental management by collecting strategic industry information and developing industry initiatives that improve efficiency and save money.
Gas Protection Verification Scheme (GPVS)
The GPVS seeks to raise standards in membrane inspection, verification and reporting and provide confidence that risks associated with ground gases have been adequately managed.
Definition of Waste Code of Practice
The Definition of Waste Code of Practice (DoWCoP) provides a clear, consistent and efficient process which enables the reuse of excavated materials on-site or their movement between sites.

Find out more...Register of materials...
Make a declaration...
NQMS for Land Contamination Management
The National Quality Mark Scheme for Land Contamination Management (NQMS) is developed by the National Brownfield Forum to provide visible identification of documents that have been checked for quality.

The CLEA software version 1.06 is a computer version of the CLEA model.

It replaces CLEA software version 1.05 and 1.04 (which in turn replaced CLEA software version 1.03 beta, the evaluation version of this software). It also contains additional approaches, which may be useful for site-specific risk assessment that are not described within the CLEA report but are covered in some detail within the handbook we have written to accompany the software. The handbook also provides a detailed user guide explaining how to operate all of the functions of the software.

Overview

You can use the CLEA software to:
  • derive generic soil assessment criteria using generic assumptions about the characteristics of contaminants and people likely to be present on site;
  • derive site-specific soil assessment criteria by entering your own data on the characteristics of contaminants and people likely to be present on site and/or using a non-generic approach;
  • assess whether a measured concentration in soil (and where available, measured site concentrations for contaminants within soil air, ambient and indoor air, and fruits and vegetables) would present a potential risk to human health for a particular set of circumstances;
  • derive exposure factors for dioxins, furans and dioxin-like PCBs for use in deriving site-specific soil assessment criteria using our dioxins site-specific worksheets.

The handbook explains how you can do all of these things.

What are the main changes to the software?

Changes to the software between versions 1.04 and 1.06 are:

  • we have added the chemical data that we have used in deriving Soil Guideline Values for arsenic, cadmium, mercury (elemental, inorganic and methyl), nickel, selenium, benzene,  ethylbenzene, phenol, toluene, xylene (o-, m- and p-) and dioxins (29 congeners);
  • we have revised the protection scheme in the software to allow the extraction of dioxin, furans and dioxin-like PCBs exposure factor data for use in calculating assessment criteria using the dioxins site-specific worksheets;
  • we have added a residential and an allotment lifetime exposure land use by adding land use and receptor data used in the derivation of the cadmium SGV;
  • we have replaced the bioaccessibility factor with the relative bioavailability factor, and the description in the software and handbook amended accordingly;
  • we have corrected an error in the calculation of Exposure Duration which was one year less than it should have been for the following scenarios; ending age class equals 17 and starting age class equals 16 or less or ending age class equals 18 and starting age class equals 16 or less. This would have a minor effect on assessment criteria calculated using the CLEA software v1.04; and
  • we have updated the CLEA software handbook to reflect and explain the changes to the software.

You need to make sure that you are familiar with the framework reports before you use the CLEA software. You should refer to the handbook that we have written to go with the software for additional information.

What are the PC requirements for the software?

The CLEA software uses Microsoft ® Excel. We developed the spreadsheet using Microsoft ® Excel 2003 SP1. We cannot guarantee compatibility with other versions of Microsoft ® Excel. The system requirements for Microsoft ® Excel 2003 are:

Computer and processor - Personal computer with an Intel Pentium 233-Mhz or faster processor (Pentium III recommended)
 
Memory - 128 megabytes (MB) of RAM or greater
 
Hard disk - 150 MB of available hard-disk space; optional installation files cache (recommended) requires an additional 200 MB of available hard-disk space
 
Drive - CD-ROM or DVD drive
 
Display - Super VGA (800 x 600) or higher-resolution monitor
 
Operating system - Microsoft Windows 2000 with Service Pack 3 (SP3), Windows XP or later

Additional recommended requirements for CLEA Software Version 1.03 beta are:

Hard disk - 10 MB of available hard-disk space (unzipped file size is 3MB)
 
Display - Super VGA (1280 x 768) or higher resolution is recommended

  1. ESS Expo 2026 visitor registration opens

     June 2026
    The Environmental Services & Solutions Expo (ESS Expo), the UK’s largest environmental event, has announced that visitor registration is now open for its 2026 edition, taking place 16-17 September at...
  2. GPVS application window opens 1 August 2026

    GPVS application window opens 1 August 2026

     June 2026
    The next Gas Protection Verification Accreditation Scheme (GPVS) application window opens on 1 August and closes 30 September 2026. The application window is open to Technician Grade and Specialist Grade...
  3. Environment Agency publishes voluntary remediation advice service for contaminated land and groundwater

    Environment Agency publishes voluntary remediation advice service for contaminated land and groundwater

     June 2026
    The Environment Agency has produced guidance on its new voluntary remediation advice service for those that wish to receive more detailed site-specific regulatory advice where land contamination has impact on...
  4. NORAC and JIWG publishes an overview of new technical guidance on asbestos air monitoring on brownfield remediation sites

     June 2026
    National Organisation of Asbestos Consultants (NORAC) and Joint Industry Working Group Asbestos in Soil and Construction & Demolition Materials (JIWG) has published a new Technical Guidance Series document providing an...
  5. Contamination & Land Remediation Expo is coming to the NEC Birmingham on 16-17 September

    Contamination & Land Remediation Expo is coming to the NEC Birmingham on 16-17 September

     May 2026
    Part of the Environmental Services & Solutions Expo (ESS Expo), the Contamination & Land Remediation Expo (CLR Expo) will bring together 2,800+ professionals from across the contamination, remediation, and geoenvironmental...
  6. CL:AIRE TRG Annual Report 2025 and new ECP

     May 2026
    CL:AIRE has now published the 2025 Technology and Research Group (TRG) Annual Report and it is available to download. The TRG is also pleased to welcome a new Early Career...
  7. SURRI publishes useful series of podcasts about preparing EU project proposals

    SURRI publishes useful series of podcasts about preparing EU project proposals

     May 2026
    The European Project SURRI (Sustainable Remediation of Radionuclide Impacts on Land and Critical Materials Recovery) has published a series of podcasts to understand more about EU project proposal building. They...
  8. ISO draft international standard on determination of inorganic arsenic species in soils has been published for comment

    ISO draft international standard on determination of inorganic arsenic species in soils has been published for comment

     May 2026
    ISO DIS 25251 Soil Quality - Determination of inorganic arsenic species in soils and soil-like materials has been published for comment. Comments should be submitted to Joanna Macnamara by 10 July 2026.
  9. POST publishes research briefing on Nature-based flood and drought resilience

    POST publishes research briefing on Nature-based flood and drought resilience

     May 2026
    The Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST) has published a research briefing on Nature-based flood and drought resilience. The POSTnote outlines the evidence, challenges and benefits for implementing catchment scale...
  10. Land Remediation Pathfinder Scheme - expressions of interest closing soon

    Land Remediation Pathfinder Scheme - expressions of interest closing soon

     April 2026
    Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) has announced an Expression of Interest opportunity for the Land Remediation Pathfinder Scheme (LRPS). LRPS is a £80 million pilot scheme funded by Defra...
  11. Publication of MCERTS performance standard for rapid measurement techniques for the chemical testing of soil

    Publication of MCERTS performance standard for rapid measurement techniques for the chemical testing of soil

     April 2026
    On 27 April 2026, the Environment Agency published new guidance called MCERTS: performance standard for rapid measurement techniques for the chemical testing of soil. The guidance describes the certification process...
  12. The Environmental Monitoring & Measurement Achievement Awards (the EMMAs) - last call for nominations from land remediation industry

    The Environmental Monitoring & Measurement Achievement Awards (the EMMAs) - last call for nominations from land remediation industry

     April 2026
    The Environmental Monitoring & Measurement Achievement Awards (the EMMAs) will take place on Wednesday 16 September on the first evening of Contamination & Land Remediation Expo (CLR Expo). The EMMAs...
  13. New CL:AIRE Research Bulletin (RB22) published on legacy wastes in the coastal zone

    New CL:AIRE Research Bulletin (RB22) published on legacy wastes in the coastal zone

     April 2026
    CL:AIRE is pleased to publish a new research bulletin RB22: Legacy Wastes in the Coastal Zone which is available to download here. Legacy Wastes in the Coastal Zone: Environmental Risks and Management...
  14. EPA Ireland consults on developing national guidance for brownfield soil and stone by-product material

     April 2026
    The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Ireland has published a position paper for consultation as part of the development of national guidance for brownfield soil and stone by-product material. The guidance...
  15. UK Parliament's Environmental Audit Committee publishes its PFAS report

    UK Parliament's Environmental Audit Committee publishes its PFAS report

     April 2026
    The UK Parliament Environmental Audit Committee has now published its report Addressing the risks from Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) following its inquiry and call for evidence in April 2025.
  16. National Brownfield Forum March 2026 meeting notes now published

    National Brownfield Forum March 2026 meeting notes now published

     April 2026
    The National Brownfield Forum March 2026 meeting notes have now been published and are available to download here.
  17. Defra consults on BNG and targeted exemptions for brownfield residential developments

    Defra consults on BNG and targeted exemptions for brownfield residential developments

     April 2026
    Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) is consulting on a possible exemption from biodiversity net gain (BNG) for certain residential developments on brownfield land. Further information is available here.
  18. HSE launches consultation on Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR)

    HSE launches consultation on Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR)

     April 2026
    The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has launched a consultation on the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR) and it is now open for comments. The consultation seeks...
  19. Phase 2 of DoE Industry Profiles project is now complete

    Phase 2 of DoE Industry Profiles project is now complete

     March 2026
    A project to update 15 of the Department of Environment (DoE) series of 47 industry profiles has now finished with funding from the Environment Agency, Association of Geotechnical & Geoenvironmental...
  20. Defra publishes Land Use Framework for England

    Defra publishes Land Use Framework for England

     March 2026
    Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) has published the Land Use Framework for England. It sets out how England can use its land more effectively. The Framework has...
  21. CL:AIRE connects the industry: Bristol networking evening sets the scene for summer event

     March 2026
    CL:AIRE hosted another successful members' networking event, this time in Bristol at Racks Bar and Kitchen. The evening brought together professionals from across the sector for relaxed, informal conversation. CL:AIRE Members...