ICCL, International Committee on Contaminated Land

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Draft agenda for the 6th meeting of the Ad Hoc international Working Group on Contaminated Land

Preparation of the 17 – 18 march 2003 meeting, Montréal (Canada)
Followed up by AMERICANA Exhibition (19 – 21 march, 2002)

List of participants to the meeting in Paris , June 2002:
Austria – Harald Kasamas, Martin Schaman
Canada – Adrien Pilon, Eileen Raymond, Jean-René Michaud, Michel Beaulieu
France – Alexandre Paquot, Raoul Campomanes, Dominique Darmendrail, Joelle Ory
Germany – Andreas Bieber

Session 1, Overview of recent international activities
Common Forum / Paris, 6 – 7 june 2002: Dedicated to recent developments at the european level ; discussions on the three topics (proposition of directive on environmental liability – damages on water, biodiversity and soil, water framework directive and its daughter directive on groundwater, communication on soil protection strategy), considered as priority Topics for the Europeans. Brownfield redevelopment versus land consumption? To have a view on the situation in Europe in this field, see CLARINET WG1 report. See also CABERNET (network) and RESCUE (EU funded project) dedicated to brownfield redevelopment. Canada - New National strategy on Brownfields CONSOIL 2003 – 6 scientific themes (Soil and Groundwater policies, Identification of risks, Remediation concepts and technologies, Risk Based Land Management, Problem oriented approaches, New themes around Soil Protection). Proposal to have a space in CONSOIL to present the ad Hoc Group results ? See Johan Van VEEN and Guus ANNOKKEE. Possibility to use also the Inter-soil workshop. See the possibility to provide the main outcomes for the special session.
1. Special event / 10th anniversary of the Ad Hoc IWG
With all the countries that have hosted the Ad Hoc IWG. Any idea welcome !
2. Themes of discussion
See outcomes of the Geneva meeting.
A) «orphan» sites / public or government intervention on contaminated land? Format for the presentations : funding systems management system limits of public intervention, definition used when do we have to act ? kinds of sites ? search of liable parties leading to an analysis of the past procedures and the lessons learnt. Presentation by selected countries on the same format, but on several kinds of sites : Exemple of former military sites as delt by the German – Russia programme (technical guide – costs for Germany), US – Superfund ?, Hungrian exemple, DEW Line (Canada), Italy – National sites, France (failing liable parties). + International fundings : World Bank funding systems for the eastern and central countries versus international financial help (Marshal Plan ?), EU fundings (twining programmes ? Demonstration sites ?) ?, NATO- CCMS (reuse of military sites)? Leaders : Canada and other countries

B) Active industrial sites / existing contamination at operationnal sites Points to be discussed : How to force them to investigate / remediate ? How to prevente future contamination ? Legal authorisations for emissions versus liabilities ? Integration of soil protection issues ? Financial guarantees, insurance and financial tools ? Bankrup situations ? By countries or by industrial activities ? Countries to be seen : Canada, Ireland, Netherlands, Denmark ? Leaders : Michel BEAULIEU( Canada), Onno Van SANDICK (The Netherlands)

C) Chain of responsibilities : See. draft agenda + : presentation of the New ‘European Directive on Environmental liability’(damages oriented) implementation of the ‘Polluter Pays’ principle Format : chain of responsibilities (operator, owner, when sold for different uses, in case of bankruptcy,…), level of liabilities for each step, versus historical and new / future pollutions, existence of letter of compliances / reopening criteria, development of new tools (insurance, financial, …), possibilities of transfert of liabilities to third parties (insurance, …). liability transferts ? Quitus - letter of compliance? versus changes in land use or of the quality criteria? See past meetings to identify others main gaps. Proposal : elaboration of case studies (bankruptcy, redeveloped sites and discovery of a new pollution, selling of properties, …) and then presentation of the countries strategies / solutions / application on a concrete level. Countries to be involved : some eastern and central countries, US – federal level + several states ?, Canada – federal level + provinces, France, ? ? ? Leaders : Alexandre PAQUOT (France), Michel BEAULIEU (Canada), collaborator Susan Bromm USEPA.

D) Harmonization of soils and groundwater quality criteria Including risk assessment in the decision process. Several levels in the question: Need for such criteria (versus site specific risk analysis), how to develop such criteria ? different uses = different criteria, endpoints to take into account, differences in scientific assumptions, Application of criteria, in particular in a land management at a regional scale, how to harmonize soil criteria and Gw criteria? acceptable risks in different countries? management of treated sites when changing the criteria State of the situation in the different countries. Break out in several sub-groups (1 - evolution in some countries, 2 – risk analysis basis, ….) And plenary session for presentation of results of the discussions. Leaders : Harald KASAMAS (Austria) , Martin SCHAMAN (Austria)

E) Heavy metals Problem recognized within several countries : Site management problems: Urban areas (historic fill materials – coming from smelters, wastes) and mining sites Technical and scientific issues: Risk assessment for metals to be developed (availability, mobility, speciation) How to deal with high background levels ? versus remediation – speciation, versus human health impacts? More a ‘case studies’ session. To be discussed with the eastern and central european countries, or south and central america. Leaders : Canada in collaboration with several countries sharing experience.

F) Groundwater More on Management of land at regional approach for GW protection. See Clarinet WG3 report for the presentation of the situation (for the European) and from ? ? ? for North America, from eastern countries. Subjects to be discussed : Integration of policies? Existing tools ? i.e. protection perimeters, monitoring networks, risk analysis, prediction models, … at regional scale, Cumulative risks versus site by site approach? Bob Harris’suggestions on vadose zone and NA; state of the art. Leaders : Bob HARRIS (UK), Dominique DARMENDRAIL(France)

3. Draft agenda
Sunday, 16 March 2003: Sunday evening Dinner Cocktail, from 5 to 10 pm. Monday, 17 March 2003: Morning : Introduction and session A Afternoon : sessions B and C Evening dinner Tuesday, 18 March 2003: Morning : session D Afternoon : sessions E, F and Conclusions Potential topics : environmental merit criteria ? 19, 20, 21 March delegates can visit Americana exhibition.
4. Logistics
Secretariat of the Ad Hoc Working Group: call for proposal for the following meeting (to be decided in Montreal), France taking the Presidency at that time.
5. Varia
Mission of the Ad Hoc Group? Prepare reports on specific topics for helping country members to develop national strategies, policies, etc? Ad Hoc group to be put under the umbrella of United Nations? OECD? first action: invitation of these organisms at the Montreal meeting.

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