Site-Specific Ecological Risk Assessment - Dealing with Contaminated Sites: From Theory Towards Practical Application - page 696

including specific species such as protected wild life (nature) and ornamental plants
(parks, gardens).
15.1.1 Appreciation of the Ecosystem at Contaminated Sites
Before any site-specific investigation is initiated, it is important, as the first step in
an ERA, to evaluate whether there are any ecological concerns associated to this
specific site (Fig. 15.1 , in which the Framework for site-specific ERA is given).
In most countries, no detailed and systematic inventory has been made of how
often ecological concerns could be associated to contaminated sites. This is for
example true for Denmark. Denmark has for decades collected data and generated
a comprehensive and relatively complete record of the contaminated sites within
the country (Danish EPA 2008 ). To date this inventory has registered approximately
24,000 contaminated or potentially contaminated sites. However, a screening of how
frequently valuable ecosystems, e.g. Natura 2000 areas , are located on contami-
nated sites was not initiated until recently. The investigated area covered one of the
five Danish Regions. Here a total of more than 600 contaminated sites were located
at - or in very close vicinity of - an important conservation nature area (terrestrial,
fresh water and marine) corresponding to approximately 10% of the contaminated
sites in the region. The dominating sources of contamination in these areas were tar
from coating of fishing nets in the late history, shooting ranges and dump sites.
A comprehensive study in the Netherlands has shown that out of 500,000 sus-
picious locations, approximately 28,400 potentially contaminated sites are located
within recognized nature areas or Natura 2000 areas (Versluijs et al. 2007 ). It is
expected that 3,200 sites in these areas have to be remediated, comprising a total
surface area of about 8,400 ha.
In the Netherlands the approach to ERA might be different from many other
countries with a soil protection policy. A Risk Assessment for the terrestrial ecosys-
tem applies for all sites with a serious soil contamination, and remediation should
be seriously considered for all unpaved and uncovered soil, including those at indus-
trial sites. In this sense, the ecosystem has the same status in the Risk Assessment
as human health and the chance of dispersion and spreading of the contaminants
(Swartjes 1999 ; Versluijs et al. 2007 ). This policy pays tribute to the notion that soil
harbors important natural functions, which are essential for mankind. Consequently,
human and ecological risk may trigger remediation at contaminated sites for all land
uses, albeit the thresholds differ.
15.1.2 Stakeholder Involvement
The second and the third step in the site-specific ERA would then be to select
relevant stakeholders and experts for the steering committee and the team of risk
assessors (Fig. 15.1 ). The size and shape of such a Steering committee and risk
assessor team depends on the type and magnitude of work anticipated for the