Cleanup Technology
Remediation methods must be used whenever it is no longer possible to reduce contaminants in the soil or groundwater with natural breakdown and containment processes.
Recently in Germany, following reunification, great efforts were required to clean up hazardous deposits (former garbage dumps or landfills) and hazardous sites (factory grounds) that had been catalogued and assessed as problematic in the New Laender. In addition to undesirable leftovers from industrial development, there were and are areas in this country that require cleanup. The environmental hazards responsible were created by military usage and the production of armaments.
The processes developed and proven in this context for hazard reduction include encapsulation and hydraulic methods. To address the causes, depending on the local conditions and the existing hazardous material quality, either on-site or in-situ methods should be considered:
On site:
Thermal or biological treatment, washing, extraction, solidification.
In situ:
Ground vapour extraction, groundwater pump out, biological treatment, chemical fixation.
All processes have now been technical optimized, and provide support in many areas for the removal of environmental contamination and the health risks for animals and humans that often accompany it.
Former deposit restoration, however, always involves high costs and takes considerable time. In future, increasing use must be made of preventive measures in order to address the exhaustibility and limited load capacity of soil and water resources.
German Renewable Energy Federation (BEE)