Depotredegørelse om affaldsdepotområdet 1998

2. English Summary

In 1998, an additional number of 537 contaminated sites were registered in Denmark. 101 contaminated sites were deregistered, and 74 sites released for specific use. As per 31/12 1998 the total number of registered contaminated sites in Denmark amounted to 4,520.

Of these 4,520 sites, 1,634 are prioritised sites expected to be included in the public clean-up effort. 541 sites are used for housing or similar, 929 are sites that threaten the groundwater and are situated in particularly valuable water abstraction sites, and the remaining 164 sites are threatening the groundwater, situated in particularly valuable water abstraction sites and used for housing purposes.

In 1998, the regional councils have prioritised the effort of groundwater protection in areas designated as particularly valuable water abstraction areas. Thus, 48 per cent of the 537 sites registered in 1998 are located in particularly valuable water abstraction sites, constituting 35 per cent of the area of Denmark. Furthermore, sites used for housing have been given high priority, and they account for 42 per cent of the 537 sites registered in 1998.

By the end of 1999 1,409 sites comprised by the Act on Contaminated Sites had been cleaned up, of which 199 in 1998.

Reporting on recent contamination incidents shows that contamination still occurs after the time limits laid down in the Act on Contaminated Sites

For 515 of the 1,612 recent contamination incidents occurred in the period from 1996 to 1998, no clean-up has been effected. Not all of Denmark’s local councils have reported recent contamination incidents, and the real number of recent incidents is therefore probably higher. Reports indicate that sources causing recent contamination incidents are different in terms of type of contamination from the sources causing contamination comprised by the Act on Contaminated Sites. Particularly the group of sources relating to the storage of oil is very large.

In the entire soil contamination area, 1,011 sites were cleaned up in 1998. 86 projects were financed by public funds, 440 sites were subjected to voluntary clean-up, and 485 sites were cleaned up under other schemes, primarily the scheme of the Danish Oil Industry’s Environmental Clean-up Association. In 1998, approximately DKK 412 million (excluding administration) were used for action relating to soil contamination (excluding new and voluntary investigations and clean-up operations).

Also in 1998, applications under the land depreciation scheme Act on Value Loss were numerous. Approvals were given for DKK 69.5 million, but still applications have been on a waiting list since October 1998. As per 1st September 1999 the waiting list amounted to around DKK 85 million. The land depreciation scheme is now being evaluated, and results will be available by the middle of year 2000.

In 1996, the Contaminated Sites Council decided that in 1998 thematic reports on water abstraction wells affected by contamination from point sources should be made. Reports comprised wells polluted in the year of reporting and were extended to include abstraction wells in which it was necessary to carry out sophisticated water treatment.

From the reports appears that 51 wells were closed in 1998, mainly because of pesticides, which caused 25 closures. Two wells were closed due to other xenobiotic substances, and one well was closed due to a point source at an industrial site. This means that at least three wells were closed due to point sources. The remaining closures were caused by natural water quality problems, technical problems, the occurrence of nitrate, or "source unknown". Sophisticated water treatment was introduced in one water abstraction well in 1998.

Recommendations from the Contaminated Sites Council

The Contaminated Sites Council has noted with satisfaction that the Danish Folketing, with a broad majority, has adopted the Act on Contaminated Soil, regulating in one Act all types of soil contamination. Furthermore, two new Guidelines on remediation and sampling provide a solid technical basis for implementing this new legislation. In continuation of the Act on Contaminated Soil, the Contaminated Sites Council recommends the preparation of Guidelines on mapping of soil contamination sources and guidance for residents on slightly contaminated areas. Furthermore, it is recommended to issue a number of Statutory Orders providing an improved basis for the authorities in their efforts against soil contamination.

The Contaminated Sites Council recommends to establish a common data model for soil contamination in the counties and to develop further the reporting system, giving improved and easier access for authorities, enterprises and citizens to information on soil contamination.