French know-how in the field of soil and groundwater remediation

The result of complex interactions between the climate, geology, vegetation, biological activity, time and land use, soil is a non-renewable resource. Whereas the processes whereby soil is formed and regenerated are extremely slow (taking several thousand years), some human activities can degrade the soil within just a few years or decades. The most serious threats include erosion, reduction in organic matter, contamination by pollutants, soil compaction and sealing, soil biodiversity loss, salinization, flooding and landslides. Whether it stems from diffuse and mobile sources (e.g. atmospheric deposition, farming practices) or from clearly confined sources with highly concentrated pollution (e.g. local or isolated contamination linked to an industrial site, a waste storage depot), soil pollution can have harmful consequences on human health and the environment, in particular as a result of bioaccumulation, gaseous emissions and groundwater contamination. The foundations of French policy on contaminated sites and soils Compared with policies for water management, air pollution and even waste management, policy on managing land pollution is relatively recent in France and Europe, where it has developed since the mid-1980's and early 1990's. It is organised around three main themes: - preventing soil and groundwater pollution, - ensuring a correct balance between contaminated soils and their use, - preserving records of past pollution and the rehabilitation that has been carried out. An effective rehabilitation policy for contaminated sites requires a strong emphasis on research and innovation. A number of inventories have been made on contaminated sites and soils in France since the 1970's. On the one hand, an inventory of polluted sites calling for action by the authorities (BASOL) represents around 4,300 sites. On the other hand, an inventory of former industrial sites or service activities that could have polluted the land will eventually cover some 300,000 sites (BASIAS). In addition to the inventories, concrete action has been taken to rehabilitate contaminated sites where the people responsible for the contamination are unknown or unable to face their duties. ADEME, on behalf of the government, is responsible for making these sites safe to limit the impact of pollution. Before the 'Grenelle Environment' (Environment Round Table), the amount of money devoted to such work was around 10 M euros per annum. After the Round Table the budget was increased to 90 million euros for the period 2009-2013. In addition, as part of a program to regenerate brown-fields, nearly 40 million euros - including funds from the economic recovery plan - are being invested during the period 2009-2011. A growing market for decontamination managing the soil and groundwater pollution is now a major economic challenge. In 2008, it represented in France a turnover of around 626 million euros with a growth rate of almost 10% per annum since 1996. At world level, the sites and soils cleanup business represents an annual market of around 43.4 billion euros. Protecting the soil and groundwater is a worldwide challenge. In 2050, the world population is set to reach 9 billion, which will only add to the already considerable pressure on the land and groundwater. In developing and emerging countries, the need to protect the soil and groundwater will therefore be considerable. The experience and know-how of French experts in the public and private sectors as regards prevention, risk management and soil and groundwater decontamination will be available to meet those needs. This brochure describes the French know-how in the field of soil and groundwater remediation. It provides a picture of the technology that is available from specialist companies as well as the government policies and support for innovation or training adopted in these areas.