SUMMARY OF CONTAMINATED SITES The following data was compiled on the basis of the respective NIP Documents, submitted to and published at the Stockholm Convention website, www.pops.int. EUROPE Country Description of contaminated sites Action Plans and Strategies Albania In the NIP, Albania listed potential contaminated sites. This include the following: (i) Elbasan - former coke manufacturing plant with about 2500 m 3 contaminated soil (ii) Duress, Bisht-Palla former chemical depot (iii) Vlora - former Soda-PVC plant (iv) Durres-Porto Romano former chemical factory (v) Elbasan, Fushe Arres, Lac former wood processing area (vi) Lushnje former PVC factory (vii) Shkoder-Bajze - 200 tons of expired pesticides are stored. Urban dumpsites are also considered hotspots as geological and hydrogeological studies show that theu are situated in wrong places, are of outdated technologies and are badly managed. Priority is placed on capacity building on POPs management for local authorities, responsible institutions and individuals for POPs monitoring and identification of POPs contaminated sites. Site investigation, priority setting, site assessment and development of remediation plans for the potentially POPs contaminated sites. Armenia State of contaminated territories (energy complex, waste dumpsites, former pesticide storehouses) is a NATIONAL PRIORITY. 474 dumpsites potentially contaminated; PCBs in soils monitored showed significant PCB concentration from 22.3 369.9 mcg/kg (highest was in the town of Echmiadzin) POPs pesticide contamination is not significant but monitoring was held only on pesticide storage facilities not in contaminated sites. Pesticide burial site near Bardzrashen Village where about 500 tons of obsolete pesticides were buried Identification /clarification of the amounts of obsolete pesticides stocks Resolve the problem of ecologically sound final disposal of obsolete pesticides Cessation to exploit PCB-containing oils and equipment Remediation of contaminated areas Restoring the integrity and ensuring the safety of burial
Austria The governments of the provinces have to identify polluted sites (landfills and industrial or commercial installations active or abandoned before July 1, 1989. All existing information (location, ownership, site history, possible contaminants, hydrological and geological information and current use) has to be sent to the BMFUW and is recorded by the UBA which maintains a Register of Potentially Polluted Sites. According to the report of the UBA on the Register of Potentially polluted Sites and the Register of Contaminated sites of January 2006, there are more than 45,0000 registered obsolete disposal and production sites in Austria. For about 100 sites securing or remediation measures were finalized. The procedures for the identification and remediation of contaminated sites in Austria are sufficient for the purpose of the Stockholm Convention. Further measures concerning legislation and enforcement are not necessary. However, with a view to reporting under the Convention, it could be useful to enable an easier identification of sites related to POPs contamination by introducing the term POPs in to the categorization. Belarus Table 6.1 p. 38 of the NIP lists the POPs pesticides-contaminated agricultural lands. The territories of the POPs pesticides landfills are considered the most contaminated containing POPs concentration levels higher than maximum permissible concentration. Identification, assessment and priority clean-up of POPs contaminated sites and remediation of the affected environment. Bulgaria No new POPs soil pollution levels were recorded in 2003. The measured concentration of POPs chemicals is considerably below the reference background levels and no potential threat exists from POPs soil pollution. Isolated local cases of DDT pollution in soil were registered. Update of the NCSCS will be carried out to consider factors specific to northern sites (e.g., permafrost, snow and lack of ground water) and potential risks associated with First Nation s reliance on local traditional foods and other land resources. The new NCSCS incorporates some of the changes that were developed federally to prioritize contaminated sites under the Federal contaminated Sites Accelerated Action Plan. Cyprus Askarel was disposed in the area of Kato Polemidia in Limassol. The contaminated soil was buried in specially constructed leak-proof cells. The contaminated soil was estimated to be about 30,000 cu.m and contains about 50 to 100 tonnes of PCBs. Regular monitoring of the buried contaminated soil is done through water and soil sampling. Continuous monitoring of the buried contaminated oil is being carried out. No specific action plan or strategy to specifically address contaminated sites was given in the NIP.
Czech Republic Table 12 p.43-44 of the NIP lists the priority locations contaminated by POPs being addressed at present. Inventory of devices with PCB content and of PCB-contaminated sites is currently being undertaken. Spolana Neratovice in the district of Melnik has been identified as the only site containing a significant amount of PCDDs/Fs HCB contamination has been identified in the landfills of the Spolek pro chemickou a hutni Usti nad Labem in Chabarovice and in Vseborice in the district of Usti nad Labem. HCB contamination is also expected in the landfill of Spolana POPs pesticides contamination is found in the disposal site of the STS Slatinany in Hodonin, district of Chrudim and former pesticide in Sebanovice and Vaclavice in Benesov. The occurrence of DDT is expected in several old, shut-down landfills with uncontrolled regime. Conduct a rigorous inventory of contaminated sites with the preliminary assessment of the potential health and environmental risks. The assessment will be used for future risk analyses and for the evaluation of the necessity of the resulting decontamination together with the economic assessment of such interference. Support systematically the use of the on site method in order to decrease the potential risk of spreading the pollutants from contaminated sites when hydro geological or other conditions permit. Ensure the prevention of new ecological burdens Denmark Incidents of soil contamination is reported to the Danish EPA and registered in the database register of contaminated soils, ROKA. Since 2004, a total of 3 PCB contaminations have been registered. There have been many analyses of PCBs in soil at power and transformers stations but no findings of significant amounts have been made. There are no Danish quality criteria for PCBs and dioxins in soil, and is therefore up to the individual county to decide which concentrations should trigger remediation measures. Denmark has POPs policies and regulations in place. FInland Extensive study on possible contaminated sites was carried out in the 1990s. POPs contaminated sites are usually connected with impurities in chemicals (pentachlorophenols) used by the wood processing industry and of persistent pesticides. Concentrations of POPs chemicals in soil are generally low and very rarely exceed the limit set for hazardous wastes. Assessment of contaminated sites should be improved with regard to POPs to identify relevant sites and initiate the necessary risk management measures. National legislation on the assessment of soil contamination and treatment needs has been prepared in 2006.
Germany The Federal Soil Protection Act provides for measures to protect or restore soil functions. The Federal Soil Protection and Contaminated Sites Ordinance translates the act into specific requirements relating to soil protection and remediation of contaminated sites. The obligations pursuant to Article 6 of the SC have been fully implemented in Germany. Iceland Overall assessment of contaminated site has not been conducted in Iceland. Individual case studies have been made in the Reykjavik area. A survey was made by the Environment and Food Agency to collect information about potentially contaminated sites which produced information about old landfills that have potential to be contaminated. A regulation on contaminated soil is being prepared with the aim of strengthening the regulatory framework for the management of contaminated sites. Latvia The assessment and evaluation of polluted and potentially polluted sites in Latvia began in the 1980s. However, there is lack of information regarding the presence of POPs in the available soil and groundwater analyses except for the evaluations performed in 1996 when the waste disposal sites of other cities were also assessed. In 7 out of 13 samples sites, DDT and its metabolites concentration exceeded 1 mg/kg but neither lindane nor toxaphene was exhibited. In general, sampling results show some sites have local POPs pesticide pollution. PCB contamination was studied in former USSR army bases but PCB concentration was below 10 mg/kg thus remediation was not considered to be necessary. The country has CM Regulations no. 483 in place, which regulate the conditions and methods for assessment, financing, registration of polluted and potentially polluted sites as well as procedures for the collection and use of information form these sites. Country strategies include the conduct of assessment of POPs polluted sites and development of State program for management of these pollued sites Ensuring a recording system for POPs generating contaminants and optimizing the monitoring of polluted sites are also being planned. Liechtenstein About 200 contaminated sites, not necessarily of POPs, were detected during initial assessment and of which about 20 need to be considered further. Currently, a national land register is being developed in the country. Overall, the country is already in compliance with the SC s stringent obligations and that it also makes an effort to fulfill responsibilities imposed by those articles of the Convention Lithuania Chemical analyses of soil and groundwater samples taken from 33 such potential sources of pollution revealed that the concentration of Identify the sites polluted with POPs, assess their level of pollution and manage them adequately.
POPs pesticide residues, namely hexachlorobenzene (11 areas) and DDT (15 areas), exceeded the maximum concentration allowed in the soil and ground waters. Macedonia Table 2.45 p.94-95 of the NIP listed all possible POPs contaminated locations. The list includes landfills, OHIS and Godel in Skopje, Maintaining facilities for transformers and for hydraulic equipment. New legislation should be developed which set the limit values for POPs contamination, including liability issues related to the contamination and clean-up procedures. National contaminated sites cadastre should be developed which contains the prioritization principles among the contaminated sites. Guidelines should be developed for identification and assessment of POPs contaminated sites. POPs contamination should be analytically confirmed for all the identified locations. Netherlands The Landsdekkend beeld (nationwide picture) project was run by the government, the provinces and the municipalities to chart all actual and potential cases of soil contamination in the Netherlands. From the nationwide picture, there are about 600,000 potentially polluted sites while about 55,000 to 67,000 sites require remediation. However, there is no data yet on sites with pollution caused wholly or partly by POPs chemicals. Remediation of sites or putting them in manageable or controllable state by 2030 at the latest. Norway Clean up operations have been completed at 87 of the most heavily polluted sites at the end of 2005. In one site in Raufoss (Oppland country) and five sites inb the Heroya Industrial Park in Porsgrunn (Telemark), difficult conditions have caused delays and some work remains to be done. 510 sites have been further investigated and 508 of these has been clarified and clean-up operations have been carried out at some of them. Strict rules have been laid down for how contaminated soil is to be dealt with and disposed of at sites where excavation and removal of soil is necessary. A new strategy for contaminated sites was described in the white paper on Government s Environmental Policy and the state of the Environment in Norway (Report No. 21 2004-2005). Based on this report, the government will give highest priority to sites where pollution constitutes a risk to human health or where environmentally hazardous substances are being leached from the soil to areas where clean up of contaminated sediments is being given priority.
Romania At present, there are no cadastral maps with old contaminated sites. Issue of soil decontamination was not treated in the NIP to avoid duplication of clean-up measures of contaminated sites relative to the implementation of the Water Framework Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council which established Community action on water policy. Switzerland There are about 40,000 to 50,000 known sites potentially containing significantly above background concentration of hazardous materials (not necessarily POPs chemicals) and an estimated 30,000 sites requiring remediation. The Bonfol (JU) and Kolliken (AG) served as chemical wastes disposal sites over the years containing about 114,000 to 350,000 tons, respectively, of special wastes (may contain POPs in traces). Decision was made to perform remediation of these sites. Site remediation is to be carried out with the chemical wastes disposal sites. Policies and regulations are in place in the country relative to registration, assessment and remediation of polluted sites. Sweden About 1500 sites have been estimated to be in the highest risk class and 94% of these have been identified and given the highest priority. These sites were assessed based on the Method of Inventories for Contaminated Sites (MIFO). As of NIP s publication, 31 sites have been remediated and remediation is in progress at another 28. Dioxin contamination is found on sites where treatment of wood with pentachlorophenol was done. Identification of contaminated sites is almost complete. The first phase where identification of relevant sites and industries was carried out and will be completed in 2010. On site inspection comprises the 2 nd phase and would also involve quantification of pollutants and releases. Slovakia A comprehensive discussion of the contaminated sites in the country is found on p.53-57 of the NIP. It details the PCB contamination of the Strazske area where a former PCB manufacturing facility was situated. Several PCB-contaminated areas are sites of former asphalt mixing plants were PCB oil is used a heat-bearing medium. The L ubisa area has about 53,000 mg/kg concentration of PCBs. Total number of identified contaminated sites is 68 with estimated polluted soil of 60, 400 cu.m. Strategy of decontamination includes assessment of the priority areas and the technical and economic aspects of remediation.
United Kingdom Data for POPs chemicals in soils are detailed in the UK Soil Herbage Survey (UKSHS). For dioxins, releases to land were estimated at 0.77-71.56 ng/kg l-teq and that the levels are not declining which implies that there will be a time lag before the reductions in emissions feed through to soil. From the data available in 1997, the open use of chemicals including the disposal of pentachlorophenol treated wood, the manufacture of chemicals, the incineration of solid wastes and accidental fires were the largest contributors. The PCB data indicates that levels of PCBs in soil have dropped approximately 800 fold from their peak in the 1960s/70s. The UK does not currently have complete PCB and HCB inventory for releases to land and future work will review the current understanding and knowledge with view to updating source inventories.