In Situ Remediation Technologies - Dealing with Contaminated Sites: From Theory Towards Practical Application - page 967

In order to arrive at sustainable solutions these two key decisions need to bal-
ance three basic principles: (i) fitness for use, (ii) protection of the environment and
iii) long-term care (Vegter 2004 ). Although RBLM is now acknowledged by many
authorities ( www.commonforum.eu ) as the approach to follow, many site remedia-
tion programmes still find major obstacles in applying this in practice, for example
lack of urgency, lack of money, difficulties in recycling slightly contaminated soil
(Sorvari et al. 2009). Moreover, the outcome of quantitative assessments of costs and
benefits, is strongly related to politically, socio-economically and ethically defined
pre-assumptions to be chosen as starting points for the cost-benefit analyses itself
(Van Wezel et al. 2007 ). Major developments are therefore still needed to further
improve and bench mark methodologies for sustainable risk based decision making
in soil, groundwater and sediment management and remediation.
A useful concept for this can be the DPSIR model (Brils et al. 2008 ). This con-
cept treats the environmental management process as a feedback loop controlling
a cycle of Driving forces (D), Pressures (P), States (S), Impacts (I) and Responses
(R). Economic urban, agricultural, and industrial activities (Driving forces) lead
to increasing Pressures on the natural environment by the use of natural resources
and/or emissions to (ground) water, soil, and sediment. That changes the State of
these environments in quantity and quality. Response measures can be implemented
at any of the D, P, S, or I levels, to prevent, limit or mitigate the impacts to acceptable
levels. Thus, the DPSIR framework links scientifically based Risk Assessment to
decision making, management and policy. Building on DPISR the European project
RISKBASE (Brils et al. 2008 ) presents a modified framework for Risk Management
(Fig. 21.6 ).
Socio-economic and global change, including climate and land use change, are
taken as an autonomic driver-pressure sequence influencing the biophysical system
(like a contaminated site) to which the social system responds. At one side, peo-
ple observe and gain understanding of the biophysical system. At the other side,
people respond by policy, management, and public actions in terms of measures
leading to the sustainable maintenance of the biophysical system. It is an adequate

measures
(designed solutions)

social
system

risk
of?

risk
of?

risk
to?

socio-
economic
&
global
change

(policy,
manage-
ment,
public)

sources sources pathways pathways receptors

understanding
biophysical system

Fig. 21.6 RISKBASE Risk Management framework (Brils et al. 2008 )