Activities 2009

GreenRemediation - Incorporating Sustainable Approaches in Site Remediation

International Conference, November 9 - 10, 2009 in Copenhagen, Denmark

Sustainable approaches for decision making and soil remediation are more relevant than ever. The objective of the  GreenRemediation Conference was to improve the awareness of green remediation solutions among environmentalists and decision makers. The two days conference addressed the main topics

• Policy Drivers,
• Decision Support Tools and
• Sustainable Remediation Technologies.

The conference was organized by the Danish EPA, Information Centre on Contaminated Sites - DANISH REGIONS, The Capital Region of Denmark and a number of private organisations. The Scientific Committee was formed by international capacities from the US and Europe. Amongst other initaitive EURODEMO+ was represented by Paul Bardos and Dietmar Müller.

More than 120  experts participated to the conference. The final discussion was moderated by Carlos Pachon (US EPA) and Dietmar Müller (EURODEMO+). To prepare the discussion a presentation to summarize two enlightning days was prepared (see right column). The major conclusions were:

• Contaminated land policies may take another stage of development towards a "4th generation" aiming to move one step further from risk-based land management (note: land as umbrella to soil and groundwater) transforming to sustainable approaches balancing all environmental issues (soil/sediments, water and wider impacts on atmosphere). The ongoing discussion and negotiation of the European Soil Framework Directive should be used as a window of opportunity to debate and define new policy ideas.
• Conceptual frameworks are already under discussion (see SuRF UK, a NICOLE working group) as well as practical tools ranging from simple indicators (e.g. carbon footprint, specific energy use) to more complex environmental accounting. The final discussion mirrored clearly concerns that tools like the carbon footprint may be understood as the final solution and "new currency" driving decisions. Therefore it was emphasized several times that conceptual frameworks and practical tools should be designed holistically. Nevertheless a holistic understanding will need complementary information which is easy to communicate.
• Regarding technologies and site remediation it was pointed out that there are no "green" technologies per se and new terms will need some more discussion to derive and establish a common understanding. "Greening Remediation" is a general objective on minimizing the environmental footprint of remediation projects, which means e.g. adapting and contributing to CO2- and energy-savings. It also involves a practice of practicing synergies (e.g. remediation-recycling-renewables; organising remediation at regional scales; optimizing engineered solutions and “working with nature”). In difference "sustainable/green technology" is not a brand of a single technology but involves a variety or "fan" of technologies. Identifying and applying such technologies site-specifically will be a challenging task for mega-sits and sites involving complex contamination patterns but typical routine applications for the majority of small and wide-spread sites need to be identified as well. Time frames of solutions (intensive clean-up vs. extensive management strategies) will remain an important driver for costs as well as environmental considerations.

As a follow-up it is intended to have sessions at ConSoil 2010 (Salzburg, Austria, September 22 - 24, 2010) and organise a 2nd Sustainable Remediation Conference by 2011. On behalf of EURODEMO+ Dietmar Müller expressed the interest and willingness to organise this 2nd conference. If you are willing to host this conference, please contact the EURODEMO+ secretariat!

A joint position paper “Cleaner land saving money and ecology - innovation pays back twice” from the three networks is currently in preparation and shall be agreed in the course of the summer 2009.

In January 2009, the Austrian Demonstration Platform has kicked off. It is installed as a working group of the Austrian Association of Contaminated Sites Management (AASCM) and it consists of more than 20 voluntary members representing the different stakeholder groups like science, vendors, consultants, public administration. It has currently three strategic projects on its agenda, related to a technology-quickscan, basic conditions for application of new technologies which are not SoA, and proposals of future research needs.

R3, the UK partner hosting the EURODEMO+ projects directory, will maintain the directory on-line until the end of 2010. The Italian partners CNR, CVR and UNIBO will start an initiative to improve the Italian projects data in the directory.