Västervik cleaned up poisoned bay

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beST PrACTICe eXAMPLeS reMedIATIOn OF COnTAMInATed SITeS LIP – LOCAL InVeSTMenT PrOGrAMMeS SePTeMber 2008

Photograph: Christer ramström

Västervik cleaned up poisoned bay

Örserumsviken Bay at Västervik has been cleared of large quantities of pollutants, primarily PCBs and mercury. Having previously been a heavily polluted environment, Örserumsviken Bay now comes within the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency’s target values for contaminated land.

The remediation of Örserumsviken Bay near Västervik is an example of best prac-tice in cleaning up a heavy polluted industrial site.

Västervik’s paper mill polluted the bottom sediment of Örserumsviken Bay, among other places, with 1,400 kg of PCBs, 750 kg of mercury and 550 kg of pol-yaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). These toxic substances were a major local problem – the area is classified as being of national interest for outdoor recreation. The sedi-ments also leaked a total of 400 grams of PCBs and somewhat smaller quantities of PAHs and mercury into the coastal area and the Baltic Sea every year.

The municipality applied for and received funds in 1999 from the local invest-ment programme (LIP) to clean up the bottom of the bay.

PositiVE EnVironmEntaL anD Economic imPacts

• The quantity of PCBs ending up in the water has decreased by 90 percent to 0.07 kg/year; the quantity ending up in the air has decreased by 99 percent to 0.004 kg/year. • The quantity of mercury ending up in the water has decreased by 55 percent to 0.03 kg/year; the quantity ending up in the air has decreased by 85 percent to 0.009 kg/year. • The dispersal of PCBs and mercury to the Baltic Sea has decreased by 80 and 55 percent respectively. • The concentrations of PCBs have decreased by 70–99 percent in the remediated area.

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information facts

beST PrACTICe eXAMPLeS reMedIATIOn OF COnTAMInATed SITeS LIP – LOCAL InVeSTMenT PrOGrAMMeS SePTeMber 2008 ISbn: 978-91-620-8565-0

imPLEmEntation

During the clean-up, a layer of sludge and fibres up to 0.8 metres thick was removed from the bottom sediment of the bay using specially adapted dredging equipment. A total of 166,000 m3 _{of sediment was dredged from the bottom of the bay.}

The water was then separated using cyclones and belt filter presses and was made to pass through a treatment plant before being released back into the bay. The dredged material was placed in a new, modern landfill, enclosed in protective sheets. A layer of sand and gravel was placed over the landfill, topped by a layer of soil in which grass was sown.

A dump in which various types of refuse and waste products had been placed was also remediated as part of the project.

PotEntiaL anD fUtUrE BEnEfit

Contaminated sites in many places pose a greater environmental threat than ongo-ing environmentally hazardous activities. It is important to clean up these areas both for the environment and to create terrestrial and aquatic environments we can use without risk. Creating a good environment in the Baltic Sea is an important matter for us all.

whY beST PrACTICe

Örserumsviken bay was Sweden’s largest remediation project to date and one of the first large remediation projects in which a municipality was the principal. This is now an established procedure.

The project has attracted attention from other municipalities. Västervik has received questions and study visits, and arranged a project seminar that brought more than 130 participants together from municipali-ties and county administrative boards, contractors and consultants. The Municipality of Västervik has been providing project support for a similar project in the neighbouring community of Valdemarsvik since 2007. The project has also attracted great attention in the media.

The municipality has made use of knowledge gained from the project in carrying out other remediation projects.

A new method was developed under the project to measure the release of mercury to the air from the water surface.

The fish in the bay, having previously been blacklisted, are now suitable for eating. FOr FUrTher InFOrMATIOn

Contact:

Christer ramström, Municipality of Västervik, +46 (0)490-888 93, +46 (0)70-688 99 24, christer.ramstrom@vastervik.se.

Christer hermansson, Municipality of Västervik, +46 (0)490 88357, +46 (0)70-686 89 28, christer.hermansson@ vastervik.se.

Marie eriksson, Swedish road Administration Production,

040-28 83 73, marie.eriksson@vv.se Contractors/providers:

Swedish road Administration Production.

The project on the Internet: www.vastervik.se/orserumsviken For further information on best Practice www.swedishepa.se/bestpractice www.naturvardsverket.se/mir FACTS

LIP Västervik 1999 Action 0

environmental investment: SeK 115m Grant: SeK 68m