Decisions around PFAS-affected land increasingly require input from multiple disciplines. Legal liability, insurance, site characterisation, analytical data and remediation strategy are closely connected, yet are often considered separately. This seminar brings these perspectives together, with expert speakers and case studies exploring how organisations can better understand risk, navigate uncertainty and make informed decisions when managing or redeveloping PFAS-affected land.
Attendance is free of charge, with catering provided. As places are limited, early registration is recommended.
Agenda
| Time |
Agenda item |
Duration |
| 08:45 |
Registration, arrival, networking and coffee |
30 mins |
| 09:15 |
Welcome and introductions
National Brownfield Institute: introduction to the NBI, its role and objectives (10 mins)
Event overview and objectives for the day (5 mins) |
15 mins |
| 09:30 |
Session 1 – Client-side: insurance and law
• The legal landscape: when does PFAS become a liability? – Victoria Barnes, Senior Associate, Burges Salmon (25 mins)
• When can PFAS be insured? – Duncan Spencer, Managing Director, EDIA Limited (25 mins)
• Joint discussion on the presented topics, including Q&A (10 mins) |
60 mins |
| 10:30 |
Networking break with coffee and pastries |
30 mins |
| 11:00 |
Session 2 – Characterisation and analysis
• The collection and use of flux data across the remediation lifecycle – Jack Shore, Regional Manager Europe, REGENESIS (25 mins + 5 mins Q&A)
• PFAS analytical strategies: which tests fit your needs? – Luca Fagiuoli, Global Business Development Manager – Environmental Testing, SGS (25 mins + 5 mins Q&A) |
60 mins |
| 12:00 |
Lunch and networking |
60 mins |
| 13:00 |
Session 3 – Case studies, part 1
• Using what the "PFAS analytical toolbox" can offer on your projects – Luca Fagiuoli, Global Business Development Manager – Environmental Testing, SGS (20 mins + 5 mins Q&A)
• Insuring the unknown: managing PFAS risk during brownfield redevelopment – Duncan Spencer, Director, EDIA Limited (20 mins + 5 mins Q&A) |
50 mins |
| 13:50 |
Afternoon networking break |
15 mins |
| 14:05 |
Session 3 – Case studies, part 2
• PFAS in practice: lessons from a complex site closure and redevelopment project – Michael Barlow, Partner, Burges Salmon (20 mins + 5 mins Q&A)
• A tale of two sites: PFAS remedy selection considerations and performance expectations – Sarah Hughes, District Manager UK & Scandinavia, REGENESIS (20 mins + 5 mins Q&A) |
50 mins |
| 14:55 |
Session 4 – Closing reflections and next steps
A concise concluding discussion drawing together the key legal, insurance, analytical and remediation themes from the day. The session will highlight the practical steps organisations should consider when managing PFAS-affected land, including better data, clearer decision pathways, realistic remediation expectations and collaboration between specialists. |
15 mins |
| 15:10 |
End |
|
Presenters
Jack Shore
Regional Manager Europe, REGENESIS
Jack Shore is a Chartered Scientist and Regional Manager for Europe at REGENESIS Remediation Solutions, with over 19 years' experience delivering contaminated land and groundwater remediation across the UK and Europe. He specialises in in situ remediation for PFAS, petroleum hydrocarbons and chlorinated solvents, and has assessed more than 3,500 sites for in situ treatability. Jack has delivered several first-of-their-kind European commercial remediation projects for PFAS, energetics and pesticides. He now leads multidisciplinary technical and commercial teams that oversee complex remediation projects across Europe.
Sarah Hughes
District Manager UK & Scandinavia, REGENESIS
Sarah is the District Manager for the UK and Scandinavia at REGENESIS. She works closely with the company's talented technical & remediation services teams to deliver innovative in situ remediation solutions for soil and groundwater. With over nine years of experience in the consultancy and remediation sectors, Sarah has a strong background in designing and supervising site investigations, developing in situ remediation designs, and managing large-scale, multi-stakeholder projects across the UK and Scandinavia.
Duncan Spencer
Director, EDIA Limited
Duncan Spencer is the director of EDIA, a specialist environmental insurance brokerage focused on complex pollution and environmental liability risks. With extensive experience across contaminated land, development and long-tail environmental exposures, he works with clients, brokers, consultants and insurers to translate technical environmental information into clear and practical insurance strategies. Duncan specialises in situations where risk, liability and uncertainty do not neatly align, including legacy contamination, redevelopment and emerging risks such as PFAS. Through EDIA, he has developed a distinctive approach that combines environmental risk understanding with insurer appetite, policy structure and long-term claims considerations, helping clients navigate complex environmental liabilities with clarity and confidence.
Luca Fagiuoli
Global Business Development Manager – Environmental Testing, SGS
Luca Fagiuoli is Global Business Development Manager – Environmental Testing, and leads the PFAS working group at SGS, the world's largest testing, inspection and certification company, based in Switzerland. His work focuses on environmental testing services for industry, service providers such as environmental consultants, and public entities such as local and national government bodies. SGS started working on PFAS testing in 2001, supporting public authorities in the development of reliable PFAS testing methods, including the recent EPA-1633 method in the US. Today, its testing capabilities cover all environmental matrices, products, food and cosmetics, with laboratories based around the world.
Michael Barlow
Partner, Burges Salmon
Michael Barlow is a partner in the Burges Salmon Environment team, leads the cross-firm water sector team and chairs the firm's ESG client services offering. He has decades of experience in environmental law, having acted for both private sector and public sector clients. He is equally comfortable advising on contentious and non-contentious matters and has taken cases through all levels of the UK courts to the Supreme Court. He is particularly adept at applying existing legal concepts into developing areas of law and has been advising on PFAS issues since 2012.
Victoria Barnes
Senior Associate, Burges Salmon
Victoria Barnes is a Senior Associate in Burges Salmon's Environment team and a specialist environmental lawyer with over 10 years' post-qualification experience. She is recognised as a leading associate and has particular expertise in PFAS-related legal and regulatory issues. Victoria advises on PFAS contamination, remediation, permitting, water discharges, environmental liability, enforcement risk and site redevelopment, supporting clients ranging from multinational manufacturers and utilities to developers and waste operators. Alongside her PFAS practice, Victoria is an experienced solicitor advocate with extensive experience in environmental investigations, litigation, judicial review, regulatory enforcement and environmental compliance. She also advises on environmental due diligence, transactional risk allocation and environmental risk management.
