OCRCS Subsidies

The Environmental Protection Act lists in Article 32e^bis the measures for which the OCRCS Fund should be used. Article 32e^ter lists the respective contribution rates.

The Federal Government uses the receipts from the charges to subsidise the costs of the following measures:

Investigation of sites that prove not to be polluted, if the investigations are completed by 31 December 2045.
The subsidy rate is 40%.
Investigation of polluted sites, provided the assessment of the need for monitoring and remediation is completed by 31 December 2032, and the site contains municipal waste or the party responsible cannot be identified or is insolvent, leading to costs for the public sector.
If no more waste has been deposited at the site since 31 January 1996, the subsidy rate is 40%. If waste was still deposited at the site until 31 January 2001 at the latest, the rate is 30%.
Monitoring and remediation of polluted sites, provided these measures are completed by 31 December 2045, and the site contains municipal waste or the party responsible cannot be identified or is insolvent, leading to costs for the public sector.
If no more waste has been deposited at the site since 31 January 1996, the subsidy rate is 60% for a site where the party responsible cannot be identified or is insolvent, and 40% for a site with municipal waste. If waste was still being deposited at the site until 31 January 2001 at the latest, the rate is 30% for both situations.
Investigation of sites polluted by a waste incineration plant (WIP) and where no waste has been deposited since 1 September 2007, provided the assessment of the need for monitoring and remediation is completed by 31 December 2032.
The subsidy rate is 40%.
Monitoring and remediation of sites polluted by a waste incineration plant (WIP) and where no waste has been deposited since 1 September 2007, provided the monitoring measures and the remediation measures are completed by 31 December 2045.
The subsidy rate is 40%.
Investigation, monitoring and remediation of polluted sites at shooting ranges that do not serve a predominantly commercial purpose, provided the measures are completed by 31 December 2045 and that:
- no more waste has been deposited at sites in groundwater protection zones since 31 December 2012 and no more shots have been fired into the earthen bullet trap,
- no waste has been deposited at all other sites since 31 December 2020 and no more shots have been fired into the earthen bullet trap.

The subsidy rate is 40%.

At shooting ranges for historical shooting and field shooting, the OCRCS Fund contributes 40% of the costs of suitable protective measures such as artificial bullet traps, as well as the costs of investigation, monitoring and remediation, provided:
- the measures are completed by 31 December 2045; and
- the only waste deposited on the site is from historical shooting events or field shooting events that are held no more than once a year and that had already been held regularly at the same location before 31 December 2020.
Investigation and remediation of public children's playgrounds and green spaces where small children regularly play, provided the measures are completed by 31 December 2060.
The subsidy rate is 60%.
Remediation of private children's playgrounds and private gardens where small children regularly play, provided the remediation is completed by 31 December 2060.
The subsidy rate is 40%.
Investigation, monitoring and remediation of sites polluted by extinguishing foams containing perfluoro- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), provided:
- no foams containing PFASs are deposited at the site after 1 April 2027,
- the fire brigades that caused the pollution are publicly funded or are called in to support or replace such fire brigades, and
- the assessment of the need for monitoring and remediation is completed by 31 December 2035, or
- the monitoring measures and the remediation measures are completed by 31 December 2045.

The subsidy rate is 40% for both investigation, and for monitoring and remediation.

In addition, the Confederation makes flat-rate payments to the competent cantonal authorities for their work in:

Assessing the need for the monitoring and remediation of polluted sites on which no waste has been deposited since 31 January 2001. Shooting ranges, sites polluted by a waste incineration plant or by PFAS, and children's playgrounds are excluded. The assessment must be completed by 31 December 2032. The flat-rate is CHF 3’000 per site.
Assessing the remediation measures for shooting ranges, provided the remediation is completed by 31 December 2045. The flat-rate is CHF 5’000 per site.
Assessing the remediation measures for all other sites, with the exception of children's playgrounds, provided the remediation is completed by 31 December 2045. The flat rate is CHF 10’000 per site.