Technology Programme for Soil and Groundwater
Contamination 2000

6. Types of projects initiated

Both public and private developers can apply for public support for documentation or testing of specific remediation technologies. The Danish EPA initiates desk studies and other projects on soil contamination itself - primarily by inviting tenders.

Around the turn of the year, the Danish EPA will call on all counties to provide suggestions for sites which can be used to document selected remediation technologies in accordance with the programme. If counties are planning to use recent remediation technologies other than those specified in the programme, they counties are encouraged to submit these suggestions and proposals to the Danish EPA on a regular basis. Occasionally, the counties are called upon to submit proposals every six months. Private developers can submit proposals for projects on a regular basis. This is usually done through the counties.

On the basis of an expert technical survey of the proposals submitted from both counties and private developers, a number of sites are selected for closer inspection. Subsequently, priority is assigned to projects where a technology project can be attached. The actual selection process is carried out in collaboration between the expert secretaries (see Section 7) and the Danish EPA.

A decisive factor in the selection of sites is whether knowledge and experience of general relevance can be obtained from the project. For this reason, the sites selected are primarily representative of Danish geological conditions and of the types of contamination mentioned in the programme.

When a site has been selected, the developer (usually the developer's advisor) and the expert secretary cooperate on preparing a project description for the technology project. This description forms the basis for the support agreement.

With each case, a specific agreement is entered into between the developer (the county or others) and the Danish EPA regarding allocation of costs. The point of departure is:

That Technology Programme funds pay all the additional costs occasioned by a technology project being associated with the remediation project; i.e. all additional surveys, elucidation, interpretations, etc.

In those situations where there is a greater degree of uncertainty regarding the relevance and usefulness of the methods and this gives rise to a risk for subsequent additional measures in the form of traditional remedial measures, greater support is granted on the basis of a specific assessment. Technology Programme funding will not be used for any subsequent additional traditional remedial measures.

The developer (county or private developer) receiving support assumes the function of developer for the total project. Appendix B shows a paradigm for an example of support. This paradigm is adjusted on a regular basis.