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aCkling urban soIl and groundwater conTamination caused bY CHLORinated solvents (CityChlor)
Start date: Nov 30, 2008, End date: Oct 31, 2013 PROJECT  FINISHED 

The aim of the project is to improve the quality and minimise pollution of soil and groundwater by developing an integrated approach to tackle the threats caused by contamination with chlorinated solvents in urban areas. Chlorinated solvents according are amongst the most common soil and groundwater contaminants due to their widespread use as dry-cleaning solvents and degreasing agents (annex 2 of the Groundwater Directive (GWD)). Due to their physicochemical properties they produce large scale plumes of pollution in the groundwater. Pollution by chlorinated solvents is in many cases caused by small-scale activities as dry-cleaners. garages and metal-using industry. which generated multiple contaminant sources for widespread groundwater pollution in urban areas. In the densely populated Northwestern-Europe. these pollution plumes are situated under residential and urban development areas and therefore difficultly accessible. Vapours can migrate through building slabs and affect the quality of indoor air. Remediation of this type of pollution is a slow and difficult process. which is cost-intensive and exceeds in many cases the financial capacities of the polluter. Moreover. in many cases the polluters are not traceable or cannot be held liable due to the overlap of pollution plumes. Pollution does not only pose a direct risk by exposure to contaminants. it also indirectly restrains economic development and harms the quality of life due to the slow processes of investigation and remediation and the resulting long period of uncertainty. The project not only aims to bring together technical knowledge on site characterization and remediation. but wants to elaborate integrated processes for coping with community involvement and organizational and socio-economic aspects. The process of risk management and remediation will be facilitated. leading to a more sustainable use of space and an improvement of the environmental quality. Achievements: Over 50 technical reports and 9 movies have been made in the 3,5 years of CityChlor.CityChlor was not just a theoretical exercise. The project also put the theory into practice. New techniques have been tested and integrated approaches have been tried out. For example pilot projects took place in the German city of Stuttgart, the Dutch city of Utrecht, the Flemish towns of Kortrijk and Herk-de-Stad and near the French capital Paris. These pilots illustrated that the new approach can work. It was also clear that each type of pollution with chlorinated solvents requires its own specific solution.There is not a ready-made solution that the mayor, architect or project developer can simply pluck off the shelf. Therefore CityChlor provides many examples of good practices and many proofs of concept. So you, urban developer, mayor, architect and expert can use the proven approaches to build further.The project's final booklet includes a selection of the outcomes from the CityChlor project. It covers characterisation technologies, new methods for remediating soils and groundwater, ways of reducing costs, overcoming legal obstacles and manners of cooperating with all of the parties involved.The aim of the booklet is to inspire the reader and to provide a framework for everyone involved in inner-city redevelopment. Because together we can move from a case-by-case method to an integrated and area-oriented approach.
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  • 50%   2 631 290,50
  • 2007 - 2013 North West Europe
  • Project on KEEP Platform
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