A Stakeholder’s Perspective on Contaminated Land Management

Abstract

NICOLE, the Network for the management of Industrially Contaminated Land in Europe is a leading forum on this matter in Europe, promoting co-operation between industry, academia and service providers. NICOLE’s goal is to enable European industry to identify, assess and manage industrially contaminated land efficiently, cost effectively and within a framework of sustainability. This chapter provides an introduction to NICOLE’s philosophy and addresses a number of topics that are relevant to NICOLE’s industrial members throughout the EU. Topics range from consideration about consistency in legislation to innovative, risk-based and sustainable approaches for the management of operational sites, megasites and Brownfields. The chapter outlines the existing concerns and constraints that may hinder cost-effective contaminated land management, proposes solutions and provides examples of promising and proven methods or best practice. NICOLE’s industrial members have developed and put into practice a range of techniques and methods to reduce, alleviate and prevent contamination of soil, surface water and groundwater. A greater knowledge and understanding of the forms and nature of contamination has allowed the refinement and improvement of remediation approaches used. NICOLE and its members advocate the view that remediation should be sustainable, i.e. that there be an acceptable balance between the effects of undertaking remediation activities and the benefits the same activities will deliver, in terms of environmental, economic and social indicators.

The opinions expressed in this chapter do not necessarily reflect the view of all individual members or organisations within NICOLE, but are generally supported by most of NICOLE’s industrial members.