Enabling sustainable developments through comprehensive remediation planning
Bryan Sylvester leads the Site Solutions team in Singapore where he brings his consulting expertise in land remediation to help clients navigate the complexity of regulatory compliance. Read on to learn more about the opportunities and challenges in the current industrial landscape.
Q: Could you tell us more about your role and what drew you to this field?
Bryan: Throughout my career in environmental consulting, I have been managing contaminated lands, and overseeing remediation and emergency spill responses across various industries, from urban development to downstream oil & gas and petrochemical industries. As remediation technologies evolve, it is crucial to understand how cleaner remediation technologies can enable sustainable development works, all whilst protecting the environment and public health.
At Ramboll, in my role as the Site Solutions Lead for Singapore, I will oversee all intrusive site assessments, remediation planning, and ad hoc spill response management in the little red dot and the wider Southeast Asia region. Cleaner remediation technologies are critical to enabling responsible and sustainable development works, whilst protecting the environment and public health, and I’m proud to say that Ramboll is at the forefront in achieving this.
It is fantastic to settle into Ramboll and get to know our Site Solutions team better. We have young and talented individuals who are passionate about removing pollution, one step at a time. I am looking forward to working with the team and growing beyond our current capacity.
Q: What unique environmental challenges do you see in Singapore's industrial landscape?
Bryan: The upcoming rollout of Singapore's Soil and Groundwater Standards will significantly change the outlook of environmental site assessments in Singapore. With greater emphasis on current and future land use of sites, assessments will be tailored accordingly. Although this may reduce the need for additional investigations beyond baseline/exit assessments, there's potential for increased costs to deliver these assessments, which will prove challenging for SME businesses.
Additionally, Singapore is becoming more stringent with its requirements to remediate contaminated lands. This stems from an understanding that land is scarce in Singapore, and the government is here to ensure that our current landscape is protected from further contamination, and to enable redevelopment for greater social, economic and environmental outcomes.
Singapore's high humidity also presents challenges for remediation planning, particularly for technologies that require optimal temperature control or involve heat-generating processes. Due to the high urban density in Singapore, there are contaminated sites in mixed commercial-residential settings, and remediation activities are often tailored to minimise nuisance to the community.
Accordingly, this requires frequent stakeholder engagement with the community to ensure the nearby stakeholders are informed about the remediation progress, potential hazards that may arise, and the mitigation measures that are implemented - such as air monitoring, containment systems, and scheduled work hours to minimise disruptions.
“We understand the needs of industrial clients and have built strong relationships globally through our work. By combining this global perspective with local knowledge, we help clients achieve compliance, manage risks, and unlock redevelopment opportunities, ultimately contributing to more sustainable and resilient urban environments”
Q: How do you see Ramboll bring value to our clients in this context?
Bryan: Ramboll brings a unique combination of deep technical expertise, global experience, and local insight. Our long-standing presence in Singapore, coupled with a strong track record in environmental advisory, positions us well to support clients navigating evolving regulatory landscapes.
We understand the needs of industrial clients and have built strong relationships globally through our work. By combining this global perspective with local knowledge, we help clients achieve compliance, manage risks, and unlock redevelopment opportunities, ultimately contributing to more sustainable and resilient urban environments.
We also have a robust team of globally-leading specialists across key environmental domains, including air quality, hydrogeology, and emerging contaminants like PFAS. These areas are becoming increasingly critical in Singapore, especially with the roll-out of soil and groundwater standards and growing public awareness of environmental health risks.
Q: How do you help clients navigate the balance between regulatory compliance and business objectives?
Bryan: Regulatory compliance in Singapore is strictly enforced and navigating this can be challenging for contaminated sites. Business objectives typically focus on timeframe and costs, and these elements don't always align seamlessly with regulatory requirements.
Here at Ramboll, we help clients by developing phased approaches that meet immediate compliance needs while planning for long-term business goals. This may involve implementing interim measures that allow business operations to continue while comprehensive remediation is planned and executed. Regular communication with regulatory authorities also helps establish realistic timelines that satisfy both compliance requirements and business constraints
Q: What has been your proudest career achievement?
Bryan: Starting my career in 2019 as a field engineer for Singapore's first full-scale in-situ thermal remediation project and advancing to its Project Manager just three years later is my proudest career achievement thus far. In-situ thermal remediation involves volatilization of contaminated soil and groundwater to remove “stubborn” pollutants, and this project was groundbreaking for Singapore's environmental sector. The knowledge and experience I gained from this complex project fundamentally shaped my development in leading large scale remediation projects
Q: What advice would you give to someone starting their career in your field?
Bryan: First, be prepared for the reality of working in various weather conditions if you're joining an environmental consultancy (with respect to soil and groundwater assessments). Many new hires underestimate this aspect of the job and are surprised when asked to spend entire days on-site under Singapore’s intense sun and humidity, which is part and parcel of our work.
Second, always maintain open communication with your leadership team. Don't shy away from voicing concerns or asking questions; it's far better to seek clarification than to make assumptions that could impact project outcomes or your professional development.
In consultancy work, assumptions can lead to unexpected costs and significant impacts on project timelines, so clear communication from the start is essential for both your professional development and project success
Contact
Bryan Sylvester
Lead Consultant
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