Contaminated soil

Contaminated soil in Elverum during remediation. Photo: Asplan Viak AS.

Over the years, large amounts of chemicals that are hazardous to human health and the environment have been dumped in landfills, and soils have been contaminated by leakages from industry and accidents.

The main problems are related to old landfills containing hazardous waste and industrial sites contaminated by hazardous chemicals. Contamination has been caused by both public enterprises and private companies. In many cases, contamination is caused by operations or waste disposal methods that are not considered acceptable today.

The Climate and Pollution Agency has identified over 3500 contaminated sites or sites where the ground is believed to be contaminated. Some of these sites have been remediated. In May 2010 383 sites were identified as heavily contaminated (impact level 3).

Contamination from earlier generations can result in the dispersal of hazardous chemicals in soils, ground water and surface water. At some sites, such contamination may represent a risk to human health, cause irreversible environmental damage or make the land unsuitable for some ranges of use.

The Norwegian government has been working with the remediation of contaminated sites for several decades. The work has so far focused on 600 of the most contaminated sites. The Norwegian government has ensured full remediation of approximately 100 of these. The state of the remaining 500 has been mapped and remediaton of some of these sites has started.

Over a thousand sites where there is reason to believe that the ground is contaminated still remain. The Climate and Pollution Agency is working to get a more complete overview over these sites. In most cases the use of the land today does not represent a severe danger to human health or the environment. However, these sites still need to be followed up because a change in land usage could lead to health risks or to the leakage of hazardous substances.

Remediation of contaminated soil in day-care centers

The Norwegian government wishes to reduce the amount of hazardous substances a child is exposed to. An “Action plan” to clean up hazardous substances in children’s outdoor environment was introduced in 2006 and includes the investigation of contaminated soil in day-care centers in the ten largest cities and five big industrial areas in Norway. By the end of 2008 the soil in almost 2000 day-care centers had been assessed.

The results show that there is a need for the removal of polluted soil or impregnated wood in nearly 70 percent of the investigated day-care centers. This is largely due to the use of CCA-impregnated wood around sandboxes. In Norway, the use, import or selling of impregnated wood that contains the heavy-metals chrome or arsenic (CCA) is prohibited. In day-care centers that used CCA-impregnated wood before this regulation entered into force in 2002, the soil is very often contaminated.

Remediation due to soil pollution is needed in almost 30 percent of the investigated day-care centers. Lead is the most common contaminant followed by benzo(a)pyrene, arsenic and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). The contamination is most likely due to industrial activities, traffic or the use of contaminated soil in landscaping.

The results are to be followed up. Contaminated surface-soil and CCA-impregnated wood around sandboxes are to be removed by the summer 2010. CCA- impregnated wood in other installations is to be oil varnished every second year until they are removed. Several of the cities involved have already started on this work and the Climate and Pollution Agency is cooperating with the involved cities and other parties.

Municipalities that participate in the work: