Summary and conclusions

Opfølgning på kortlægning af jordforurening i børneinstitutioner

In 2008, the Danish Environmental Protection Agency (the Danish EPA) conducted a questionnaire study for all regions and municipalities concerning contaminated soil at childcare institutions.

As a follow-up in 2009, the Danish EPA decided to carry out a new study in order to provide a status for activities initiated during the last year by the regions and municipalities and for future plans for childcare institutions, where contaminated soil is confirmed or suspected.

In the autumn of 2009, a questionnaire study concerning mapping of soil pollution, and actions and strategies in connection with childcare institutions has therefore been carried out for all regions. Furthermore, interviews have been conducted in selected municipalities concerning the municipality’s consultation of childcare institutions with confirmed or suspected contaminated soil.

The main conclusions of the study are listed below:

The regions have mapped 26 childcare institutions at knowledge level 1 (V1 mapped with suspected contamination), and 163 are mapped as V2 (knowledge level 2 - contamination confirmed by site investigation). This is a reduction of 50% and 22% respectively compared to the results from 2008. Part of the reduction is due to some regions using different reporting methods in the two questionnaire studies, but the results from 2009 are assessed to be correct. Mapping of soil contamination is, however, a dynamic process, and therefore the number of V1 and V2 mapped localities changes continually with time. Finally, several regions have chosen not to register V1 mapped institutions with suspected soil contamination, but to implement investigations as quickly as possible to determine if the soil is polluted.
The regions expect to have either V2 mapped (soil contamination confirmed by site investigation) or to have disproved suspicion of soil pollution at all the presently V1 mapped localities by 2010. Some institutions will continue to be V1 mapped, if there is no direct risk due to soil pollution at the institution in question (e.g. if soil pollution is suspected to be present under buildings, paving stones or residual contamination is present after clean-up). However, new V1 mapped localities can be expected to be registered since the regions continue to collect information on possible point sources of pollution at childcare institutions. 3 regions expect to have completed data collection on possible sources of pollution in 2010, while 2 regions expect to be done by 2011.
In 2009, the regions have reported one V2 mapped institution with current risk. The clean up of this childcare institution is expected to be carried out in 2010. As in 2008, all V2 mapped institutions with risks associated with sensitive land-use as childcare institutions have either been cleaned up or plans for remediation have been drawn-up.
The regions do not usually remediate institutions with slightly contaminated soil, nor is this a requirement with respect to the Contamination Soil Act.
The Region of Southern Denmark and the Nord Denmark Region have carried out extensive investigations of diffuse soil pollution at childcare institutions located within old town centres. The average top soil concentrations exceed soil quality criteria at about 27 % of the investigated childcare institutions. Correspondingly, the soil intervention criteria are exceeded at 2% of the institutions. Similar investigations in the former county of Funen identified soil concentrations exceeding the soil intervention criteria at 3% of the investigated institutions, which corresponds well with the results from the Region of Southern Denmark and the Nord Denmark Region.
All regions have prepared investigation strategies for the management of cases of soil contamination at childcare institutions based on site investigations for point pollution sources. Two regions have also based their strategies on investigating diffuse soil pollution.
The regions have defined deadlines for the administration of the different phases in the V1 and V2 mapping of soil pollution. The regions state that within 1-2 years from the point in time when knowledge of a possible pollution at a childcare institution is acquired, they will have carried out investigations to determine actual contamination levels, and if necessary have initiated remediation/clean-up activities.
Municipalities are obligated by legislation to collaborate with the regions concerning consultancy of childcare institutions on soil contamination. The regions state that they actively enter into collaboration with the municipalities on consultancy.
Currently, 14 municipalities have not provided consultancy of the childcare institutions with confirmed or suspected soil contamination.
With respect to examples of how consultancy is provided, 11 of the 21 municipalities contacted in this study stated that they have been consulting childcare institutions. 9 of the 11 municipalities have provided consultancy at meetings for childcare personnel, primarily as presentations at institution management meetings. Furthermore, all 11 municipalities have sent information leaflets to institutions on soil contamination and associated consultanc - either in the form of the Danish EPAs general leaflet on soil contamination in towns or the municipality’s own leaflet.
To optimise the collaborative work on contaminated soil at childcare institutions, it is important that the regions are up to date concerning the municipalities’ knowledge on confirmed or suspected contaminated soil at childcare institutions. Many municipalities choose to investigate soil contamination at childcare institutions by themselves. Most municipalities have procedures to inform the regions on their own investigations. In some cases, the municipality will engage in sparring with the region before carrying out an investigation, but often the region only receives information on the investigation when it has been carried out. There are also examples where a municipality has not automatically informed the region about an investigation and the region has then found out about the investigation by chance.
Many regions involve municipalities in the mapping of soil contamination at childcare institutions - e.g. by requesting that municipalities send information from their archives on possible point sources of pollution. Furthermore, many regions state that they hold start-up meetings with the municipality before they initiate investigations, where strategy and extent of the investigation is discussed. The municipality is responsible for the initial contact to the institutions in connection with the investigation and for any necessary subsequent consultancy concerning soil contamination.