The Problem and Politics of Contaminated Sites

Abstract

This introductory chapter draws the outlines of this book by exploring the extent of the problem of contaminated sites in Europe, and examining the political nature of contaminated sites management. We begin by presenting the state of the knowledge with regards to the impacts of contaminated sites in Europe, basing ourselves on the most recent data available. We demonstrate the strong relationship between the level and structure of economic activity, and the problem of contamination. We argue that contaminated sites management must be understood as a wicked problem, in which politics and the power relations between actors involved in decision-making play the front roles. We defend the idea that institutions, in the form of substantial regulation and procedural rules must exist in order to steer these processes towards environmentally sustainable outcomes. After briefly presenting the changes that have affected institutions and contaminated sites management in the era of governance, we introduce the project of this book of unraveling how certain characteristic of institutions might relate to the successful environmental management of contaminated sites.