Half-time in the processing of contaminated sites
For the first time, a comprehensive overview of contaminated site management in Switzerland is published in report form. The publication of the Federal Office for the Environment released today shows that the work is on track at the halfway point. However, major efforts are still needed to achieve the goal - the remediation of all 4,000 contaminated sites by 2040.
The report published by the Federal Office for the Environment (Bafu) presented Report "Contaminated Site Management on Course - Status of Investigation, Monitoring and Remediation" presents how far the approximately 38,000 sites recorded in Switzerland have progressed in these respects. This overview was based on the cadastres of the cantons and various federal agencies. A good 10% of the sites may pose a risk to humans and the environment and need to be remediated, the Bafu writes. The total cost of dealing with contaminated sites is estimated at around 5 billion Swiss francs, according to the information.
Diverse locations
In the report,18 case studies from all over Switzerland show how different the sites are in terms of location, size or pollutants. Apart from the well-known large hazardous waste sites such as Kölliken in Aargau or Bonfol in the Jura, which require expensive and complex remediation, there are a large number of sites where no measures are required or where an investigation is already sufficient, as Bafu further writes.
Since the Contaminated Sites Ordinance came into force in 1998, Switzerland has already achieved a great deal in the treatment of contaminated sites and is currently about halfway there. However, according to the Federal Office for the Environment (Bafu), major efforts are still required by all parties involved to complete the remediation of all 4,000 contaminated sites by 2040 as planned.
