Groundwater monitoring Newtonhill Community Woodland

A further phase of environmental monitoring is to take place this week at Newtonhill Community Woodland, near Wick in Caithness.

Environmental consultants from RPS Group Plc have been commissioned by The Highland Council and will be on site at Newtonhill from Tuesday 22nd to Thursday the 24th July to undertake the first of four bi-monthly groundwater and surface water sampling and monitoring visits.

It is expected that their works this week, will be completed in three days and that results of the surveys will be reported to The Highland Council’s TEC Services in due course.

The Council commenced monitoring works at Newtonhill Woodland earlier in January 2007 and earlier this year restrictions on access and use of the community woodland were put in place for Health and Safety reasons.

The Highland Council has a duty to investigate land which may be contaminated  and to ensure that any necessary remediation is carried out. The woodland is located on landfill which was operated by the former Caithness County and District Councils from the mid 1960s until closure in the mid 1970’s and has been managed as a community woodland since 1996.

For further information please contact: Nicola MacKenzie, Scientific Officer - Environmental Health, The Highland Council, TEC Services tel: (01463) 702539.