Sharing new concepts

CityChlor is all about sharing. Nine partners from France, Germany, the Netherlands and Flanders started this project to get the research on chlorinated solvents on a higher level. We exchanged literature and studies that led to the inventory as it is now, available at www.citychlor.eu. We organised dissemination seminars on innovative characterization tools because showing the techniques seems the best way to open market acceptance for these innovations. Similar seminars on innovative remediation techniques are therefore planned. The first on October 19th in Utrecht and the rest will take place next year when the results of the pilot tests are available.

But sharing ideas and working on new concepts can only be done by two-way communication. Many experts participated in our open workshops, sharing their know-how and experiences. In May the differences and similarities of the oriented approach in Stuttgart and Utrecht resulted in new insights. In June a socio-economic expert meeting brought more than 50 people from different disciplines together to discuss sustainable solutions for a future proof city, the report of this event can be found on our website. And we go on in the same spirit: in September we have a joined workshop with the European C2Cnetwork in Antwerp and in October we organise a workshop together with UpSoil Netherlands in Utrecht.

We hope to welcome you on one of those ‘sharing’-moments or at the CityChlor LinkedIn group!

Sharing knowledge

As part of the preliminary work, reports, ongoing projects, websites and information sources were collected in the four involved regions. All references are brought together in a state-of-the-art inventory that gives an overview of current practices and research on investigation and remedation of pollution with chlorinated solvents. This living document lists more than 700 references and is completed during the project. The latest version is available here at the CityChlor website

Sharing workshops

September 15th in Antwerp Expo, a workshop on Spatial Development will look for opportunities between sustainable soil management and the cradle to cradle principles. CityChlor joined forces with the C2Cnetwork, an INTERREG IVC project bringing together EU regions to share and capitalise on regional good practice in implementing C2C principles. This is a regional workshop and will therefore be only in Dutch (no translation). Three topics will be discussed: 3dimensial spatial planning, Sustainable business-sites and sustainable City development. The discussion on 3dimensial spatial planning starts from a CityChlor-focus, but also in the other two sessions we expect to get useful ideas and concepts for our project.

The integrated approach that CityChlor is working on includes the link from lower and topsoil to an integrated spatial planning. In this discussion we hope to get new ideas for CityChlor from spatial planners, investors and real estate developers on the incentives they see to tackle polluted sites. Could historical pollution be the driving force to re-develop a city in a more profound way? Can we go beyond risk-management to a remediation and design of an area that creates a sustainable surplus value? How both disciplines can influence each other will be discussed by means of cases.

The other discussion groups will go into the evolution in the spatial development to cycle-thinking. Can we make connections between design processes and concepts such as urban agriculture? Can we look for synergies between companies to coordinate material flows and avoid waste. This cycle-thinking holds new concepts that might be used in our approach so we are looking forward to work together with the C2Cnetwork.

October 19th in Jaarbeurs Utrecht another collaboration is set up: the EU consortiums UpSoil and CityChlor organise a workshop on the integration of in situ remediation techniques with land use cycles. Upsoil is a Seventh Framework European Union project focussing on the development of cost-effective, rapid, and sustainable in situ remediation technologies based on chemical and biological degradation of organic contaminants. The speakers at this workshop include experts in the field of land use cycles, researchers on chemical and biological remediation techniques, developers of in situ remediation technologies, and specialists on redevelopment at Utrecht Central Station, presentations will be in English. Besides sharing ideas the attendees will also visit practical application at sites. Both inputs should give us a clear on what should still be further investigated.

All information on content and registration can be found on www.citychlor.eu

Partner and pilot test in the picture: Ghent

The city of Gent (Ghent) was one of the first industrial cities in continental Europe and therefore carries a loaded environmental passive. Gent is very active in city redevelopment. As site-owner they co-ordinated a number of redevelopment projects on polluted sites, tuning the planned land use to the achievable remediation goals. Cities in Flanders only have an advisory role in soil remediation on their territory, but they are the first party to be confronted with worried residents and neighbours. Gent is faced with a number of cases where chlorinated solvent pollution has an impact on a large area. Because in an urban environment, pollution causes anxiety and evokes questions with several parties such as residents, owners, committees of neighbours and local authorities CityChlor wants to study this communication process.

The pilot site is situated in a densely populated area near the city centre where a former laundry and dry cleaner caused a widespread contamination with chlorinated solvents. The activities started in 1957 and in 2010 the activities were ended on this location. In 2000 the first soil and groundwater surveys started and these were repeated and went more descriptive until now in 2011 a remediation strategy is proposed but all details in the approach are still not certain. Lab tests have been carried out and demonstrate a reduction of the chlorinated solvents by adding a carbon source and microbacteria. Further investigation needs to be carried out to test the technique on pilot scale in the field.

This time consuming and uncertain process is typical for contaminations with chlorinated solvents. The SMART-principle of communicating with the inhabitants is therefore difficult to realise. Untill all investigations are done it is difficult to give a Specific message. Because the results of the soil investigations can result in several options it is hard to set Measurable goals from the start. Because the remediation plan is often only clear after several years it is impossible to describe a solution that will be Attainable. Because it is however important to not leave the inhabitants for a long time without any information sometimes non-Relevant information is given just to keep in touch. And last but not least the Time-bound is the most uncertain aspect of soil- a nd groundwater remediation in case of chlorinated solvents. As long as the core of the pollution isn’t found the remediation cannot start, and possible solutions have to be tested in the lab to see if it will have a result on the field.

By means of a thorough study the University of Ghent will look into this communication process. The first two steps, the desk study on previous research and the questionnaire with key players at the site are finalised. The literature studied for this pilot test can be consulted on our website. In January the OVAM has communicated in the same way as was done in all other remediation projects. In autumn a first question round will start: about 700 inhabitants will receive the questionnaire. They will be able to give their concerns and the ways they like us to communicate with them. During the remediation this will be repeated to see what the influence of the communication (and remediation) is on the inhabitants and what can be done better in future projects. The methodology will be part of our project and can be tested also in other pilot sites in France, Netherlands and Germany. This will give even a more accurate answer on communication and risk perception in remediatio n projects.

Agenda

In the (near) future the following events will take place:

• Workshop Spatial Development
  see agenda online, Antwerp Expo– Flanders
  15 September 2011
• Workshop integration of in situ remediation techniques with land use cycles
  see agenda online, Jaarbeurs Utrecht – the Netherlands
  19 October 2011