Examples of Risk Management in Flanders for Large Scale Groundwater Contamination

Abstract

With respect to soil and groundwater remediation in Flanders, regulators have recently adopted a new, risk-based, policy. This policy is illustrated by two examples of risk management applied for large scale ground-water contamination. The first case involves a benzene and MTBE groundwater contamination threatening a shallow drinking water production site. Source zone treatment combined with pump & treat plume interception may be the only risk-based remediation strategy applicable in such cases. The second example is a risk management plan designed for the redevelopment of a brownfield located near Brussels, Belgium. In this area, an extensive ground-water contamination of monoaromatic and chlorinated aliphatic hydrocarbons is present in the Quaternary aquifer drained by the river Zenne. The risk management plan involves the combination of intensive treatment of source zones and plume treatment.