Setting Remedial Standards with Respect to Groundwater: Experiences with the Procedure Used in Baden-WÜRttemberg

Abstract

The state waste act of Baden-Württemberg (LAbfG, 1990) defines the remediation objective as a condition of the environment that is compatible with the public welfare. The maintenance of water quality is one element of public welfare (German Federal Water Act, WHG, 1986). According to this law no harmful pollution of the groundwater may be granted. The guide values directive (UM & SM B-W, 1993, v.d. Trenck et al., 1994) introduced by Baden-Württemberg translates these laws into numerical contaminant concentrations in the environmental media taking into account general requirements such as background values and health criteria (toxicity) as well as local circumstances (exposure conditions). Care must be taken to balance different aspects of public welfare. This is facilitated by the definition of three levels of requirements of increasing residual contamination tolerated:

• 1. the principal level (H - background concentrations),

• 2. the general level (P - the most sensitive uses), and

• 3. the site-specific level (actual use).