The Sins of Yesterday

How are contaminated sites to be handled? The remediation of the "sins of yesterday", is not an exact science. Rather it is an after-the-fact corrective fraught with many imponderables and surprises.

Introduction

How are contaminated sites to be handled? The remediation of the "sins of yesterday", is not an exact science. Rather it is an after-the-fact corrective fraught with many imponderables and surprises.

The problem

The issue of contaminated sites has gained steadily in importance in Switzerland. The Contaminated Site Ordinance (CSO), in force as of 1 October 1998, has erected the necessary legal security to deal with this undesireable inheritence and it contains regulations for the uniform management of contaminated sites throughout the whole of Switzerland.

Risk assessment

Sites must be evaluated on a case-by-case basis: Just measuring concentrations and making an assessment on the basis of set limits is not enough.

Objectives

Six objectives must be taken into account when dealing with contaminated sites.

Contaminated Sites Ordinance (CSO)

How is the Contaminated Sites Ordinance structured and what provisons does it contain? How is a contaminated site defined?

Conferences and further education

Contaminated sites are trained so that sites are treated in a consistent manner where the most up-to-date technologies are applied and which conforms to legal requirements.

Contact
Last modification 07.07.2021

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