Leanne Brumby, BSc (Hons), MSc
Senior Environmental Consultant
SERVICES GROUP
LOCATION
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Expert QuestionS & AnswerS
What kinds of cases or matters do you most often work on, and what makes you the right person to handle them?
I often work on contamination, pollution incident, and environmental liability matters, with a particular focus on supporting insurers, loss adjusters, legal teams, property owners, and commercial organisations. What makes me the right person to handle these is the combination of technical contaminated land expertise and practical claims experience. I have led hundreds of investigations and helped clients understand the extent of contamination present and the associated risks and liabilities.
What is one assumption people commonly make in your area of expertise that is wrong, and what is the actual reality?
One of the most common misconceptions is that contamination automatically means a site requires extensive and costly remediation. The key is not simply determining whether contamination exists, but understanding its nature, extent, behaviour, and potential impacts. That’s why robust site investigations, conceptual site model development, and remedial options appraisals are so important. Reliable environmental decision making is driven by evidence rather than assumptions.
Tell us about a recent case or project where your specific expertise made a measurable difference to the outcome.
An initial remediation proposal involved extensive excavation and disposal works. Drawing on my experience in contaminated land and claims management, I reviewed the investigation findings and evaluated alternative, risk-based remedial options. By demonstrating environmental risks could be effectively managed through a more proportionate approach, I helped reduce the scope of works and deliver an estimated £400,000 cost saving while still achieving environmental protection needs.
What questions should clients be asking when they’re vetting an expert in your field — and what answers should they be looking for?
Has the expert managed similar cases? Clients should seek experts with experience in comparable contamination, remediation, claims, or liability matters. Can the expert explain complex issues clearly to different audiences? An expert should be able to communicate effectively with regulators, insurers, legal teams, contractors, and non-technical stakeholders. Technical expertise has limited value if it cannot be clearly explained and defended.
What separates a strong engagement in your area from a weak one, from your perspective as the expert?
Strong engagements start with clear objectives, early investigation, and open communication between all parties. The best outcomes are achieved when clients, experts, regulators, and contractors work collaboratively from the outset to establish the facts, understand risks, and agree next steps. Weak engagements often begin with assumptions, delayed action, or poorly defined objectives. Leading to incomplete investigations, ineffective remediation and escalating costs.
Background
Leanne Brumby is a Senior Environmental Consultant and environmental forensic specialist with over 10 years of experience providing professional advisory services relating to contaminated land, pollution incidents, environmental liabilities, remediation, environmental due diligence, and PFAS. She has supported hundreds of environmental investigations, claims-related assessments, and risk management projects across the insurance, industrial, commercial, infrastructure, property, and public sectors throughout the United Kingdom.
As part of Rimkus’ global Forensics team, Leanne provides expert technical advisory services on complex environmental claims, contamination investigations, pollution response matters, redevelopment projects, and environmental liability assessments. She works collaboratively with clients, insurers, loss adjusters, legal representatives, regulators, and multidisciplinary teams across the global Rimkus network to deliver evidence-based solutions that support decision-making, liability management, dispute resolution, and regulatory compliance.
Leanne has extensive expertise investigating contamination affecting soil, groundwater, surface water, ground gas, and ecological receptors. Her experience includes contamination investigations, pollution incident response, environmental claims support, remediation strategy development, quantitative risk assessment, due diligence, and stakeholder engagement. She has advised on major fuel losses, chemical contamination incidents, watercourse pollution events, permit surrender projects, redevelopment liabilities, and emerging contaminant risks including PFAS.
She is recognised for delivering clear, practical, and commercially focused expert advice that helps clients manage environmental risk, reduce liabilities, achieve regulatory outcomes, and progress development and investment decisions.
Leanne is actively involved in industry working groups and professional engagement activities, including previous leadership of the PFAS Working Group for the UK and Ireland Spill Association. She is an experienced industry presenter and technical speaker with a strong commitment to technical excellence, professional development, and environmental stewardship.
Education and Certifications
- Geography-Geology, 2:1 BSc (Hons) – University of Leeds (2015)
- MSc Environment and Development, MSc with Merit – University of Leeds (2016)