Toxic legacy: CDM Smith identifies lindane contaminated sites in the EU
The European Commission Directorate – General Environment therefore commissioned the TCS-HCH Consortium (TAUW (Netherlands), CDM Smith Europe and SARGA (Spain)), to compile an inventory of sites in the EU to summarize the present extent of lindane and HCH. Amongst others, we are looking for former production sites, landfills for production residues, treatment centers and other locations, and evaluating them in terms of their potential to contaminate soil and groundwater in the past or in the future.
In addition, the consortium advises public authorities at local, national and regional level at six sites on how to deal with lindane and HCH contaminated areas. In the course of this, risk assessments, conceptual site models or feasibility studies will be developed. Further work may include the preparation of tenders, cost estimates for various remediation methods and advice on restrictions of use.
The keyword of this project is cooperation on multiple levels! We have put together a cross-departmental CDM Smith team that can be expanded by our Polish colleagues as needed. Our project consortium brings together international experts from the Netherlands, Spain and Germany. Both the client and the project stakeholders are spread across Europe.
One of these sites is the Muldeaue in Germany. This area has been permanently affected by the former chemical production in Bitterfeld and Wolfen. For this site we are preparing a risk analysis and a management concept for dealing with contaminated areas in the Muldeaue.
The EC-funded project “Pilot project to evaluate and address the presence of Lindane and HCH in the EU” runs for two years.
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Did you know?
The Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) regulates the prohibition or reduction of environmental inputs of corresponding chemical compounds. The list includes a number of pesticides, industrial chemicals and production and by-products resulting from industrial and combustion processes. Initially, twelve substances were on the list, the so-called "dirty dozen". It now comprises 29 chemicals and substance groups.
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With our great team of experts we are confident to create valuable output as a basis for future measures, mitigating risks of HCH and lindane at affected sites.