Soil contamination in the NetherlandsEIONET workshop, Barcelona, May 2003
Aaldrik Tiktak – Environmental Assessment Agency
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Outline
• Point source contamination– Cleary defined sources– Mining, industrial facilities, landfills
• Diffuse pollution– Mainly from agricultural sources
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Contamination by Point-Sources
• 200,000 sites known to exist, which is more than in any other EU country– High population density– Intensive soil use– Different perspective due to public awereness after
‘Lekkerkerk’ 1980
• Estimated costs for clean-up higher than in any other EU country– NL: 35 billion EUR– UK: 25 billion EUR– B: 6 billion EUR
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Clean-up costs of contaminated sites
Estimated total clean-up costs for soil contamination
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40
Netherlands
UK
Belgium-Flanders
Sweden
Switzerland
Germany-Bavaria
Austria
Denmark
Finland
Spain
Italy
in thousands of millions EUROS
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Original ambition in the Netherlands
• Clean-up all contaminated sites to minimal residual values
• Multifunctional land-use
• All should be done within one generation
• Expensive!
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BEVER reconsideration
• Clean-up to realistic values related to the current use of the soil, instead of multifunctional use
• Decentralization of the controlling action to the provincial and municipal level
• Joint funding of soil clean-up from all parties of interest (75% funded by private parties)
• Historical seriously contaminated sites to be under control before 2023
• New contamination (after 1987) to be restored immediately
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Monitoring of point scale contamination
• In 2004 an inventory of contaminated sites must be ready– Helps to define the total workload– Allows for better planning of the coming actions
• Progress of the remediation is monitored independently– Annual progress reports– Size, grade of pollution and priority for remediation– Position in an area (dynamic or static developments)– Size and remidiation goals– Destination of soil and costs
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Overview of data to be monitored
Monitoring Soil Remediation
Survey of workload of suspected sites
Progress of investigations
Progress of remediation
Results of remediation
Use of management instruments
Nr of sites
Grade of contamination
Expected costs
Nr of sites
Grade of contamination
Priority for remediation
Static or dynamic site
Nr of sites
Surface and volume
Completely remediated
Partly remediated
Nr of sites
Remediation goal realized
Destination of soil released
Annual spendings
Average spendings per site
Co-funding
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Policy adopted: only 52% multifunctional
Remediation goals 2001 (on basis of the number of sites)
Multifunctional 52%
Topsoil: Soil use value (a)
23%
Combination (a)+(b) 7%
Not classified 10%
Everlasting care 4%
Underground: Stable situation (b)
4%
Total of 1097 sites
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But government is still largest investorDistribution of costs of soil surveys and remediation
Private parties -registrated
13% Government59%
City renewal program4%
Private parties- additional estimation
24%
Estimated total costs354 million EUROS
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Conclusions point-scale pollution• 560 new cases detected
– But only 15% remediated
• Total number of 8500 sites remediated– 50% multifunctional– 35% functional– Speed of remediation has not increased
• Government spent 50% of the total 5 billion EUR– Below target of 75%
• With current speed, targets will not be met by 2023
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Diffuse Pollution
• Large areas of land involved– Remediation not possible– Prevent at the source
• Agriculture is the most important actor!
• Diffuse pollution is usually also NPS pollution
• Major pollutants– Nutrients (N and P)– Heavy metals (primarily Cd, Zn, Cu and Pb)– Pesticides– Persistent Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs)
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Diffuse pollution in NLHeavy metal contents are usually below the target value. However, accumulation is still going on.
Acidification and eutrophication of nature in. Slight improvement.
70% of land area P-saturated. No improvement.
Heavy metals in groundwater above target values in SE NL; above intervention value under forest.
High heavy metal contents in SE NL and peat areas due to historic sources
Values of persistent pesticides like DDT, HCB and Drins above target value. Not admitted anymore.
Pesticides in groundwater???
PAHs above target value in SW NL
N in groundwater under sandy soils >> 50 mg/L. Decreasing slightly.
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NationalSoil QualityMonitoringNetwork (LMB)• 200 locations
• Agriculture
and nature
• Once per 5
years
• Soil and
upper
groundwater
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Sampling soil quality
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Sampling groundwater quality
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Example 1: Heavy metals in agricultural soils
Percentage of samples above target value
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Example 2: Nitrate in the groundwater
Nitrate in the groundwater (2000)(5-15 m)
% of samples with a concentration > 50 mg/L
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Example: The eutrophication problem
• The Netherlands has a serious eutrophication problem
Number of livestock per hectare
Livestock per hectare
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Dutch and European legislation
• EU Nitrate directive:– Prescribes both the target and the measure– Concentration in the groundwater should be 50 mg/L– Surface water quality should be good– Maximum application of N in manure is 170 kg/ha
• Dutch Nutrient Law (MW) implemented in 1996:– MINAS: Maximum loss rates instead of maximum
application rates– Soil and crop dependent– Implemented at the farm level– Inforced by penalties (levies)
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N surplus decreases...
N surplus in dairy farms
ClayPeatOther sandDry sand
170 kg/ha
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But nitrate in groundwater under sandy soils is still too high...
Measured
Corrected value
Corrected for fluctuations in precipitation and groundwater level
SandClayPeat
Sand
Nitrate in the shallow groundwater
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Phosphate saturation• 75% of Dutch sandy soils are phosphate saturated
• Current loss rate enforced (20 kg/ha) still leads to accumulation
• Further reduction to 1 kg/ha foreseen in 2030
• Manure surplus increases– Alternative processing– Export– Reduction of lifestock
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• To be implemented in national policy in 2003
• Good chemical and ecological quality– Nutrients– Toxic substances
• Targets must be met in 2015
• Social consequences....
Waterframe directive
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Consequences of agri-environmental plans
Volume change 1990 - 2002
Dairy farms
Pig farms
Cows per farm
Pigs per farm
Production
Added value
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Additional measures required:
• Reform of Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) gives opportunities– More money for Rural Development Plans– Possibilities to use EU budget for national ambitions– Funding of overall farm management systems (such as organic
farming)– Set-aside of agricultural sector; avoid agriculture in sensitive areas.
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Common Agricultural Policy
Rural development plansIncome support related to hectaresSupport to agricultural prices
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Organic agriculture is still a small market
Organic agriculture in European countries
Area in 2002 Consumption in 2002
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Conclusions diffuse pollution
• Diffuse contamination widespread due to agricultural sources
• Avoid agriculture in specific areas
• Transition of agriculture necessary to reach targets– Extensification of existing agriculture– Good Farming Practice– New production methods such as organic farming– Multi-functional use of agricultural soils (recreation, ‘green services’)
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Recommendation for working group
• Consider both diffuse and point source contamination
• Tackling the diffuse pollution problem is not possible without transition towards sustainable agriculture– Investigate socio-economic consequences– Investigate alternatives (organic farming, green services, …)– Investigate where agriculture is possible at low environmental
costs
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