The document discusses frameworks for understanding risks related to contaminated land and viable solutions, focusing on the need for better collaboration and knowledge sharing among regulators and policymakers. It highlights the importance of transparency, sustainable practices, and the integration of risk management with environmental objectives. Additionally, it advocates for adaptive learning and innovative approaches to land remediation, emphasizing a shift in focus from mere concentration levels to creating benefits while minimizing negative consequences.

2. FRAMEWORKS FOR UNDERSTANDING RISKS AND
VIABLE SOLUTIONS
DIETMAR MÜLLER-GRABHERR
© Environment Agency Austria

3. FRAMEWORKS FOR UNDERSTANDING RISKS AND VIABLE SOLUTIONS – AN OVERVIEW
OUTLINE
 ICCL – constituency & mission
 inputs to dialogue (food for thoughts), how to
 improve common understanding
 develop policy
 set thresholds
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4. FRAMEWORKS FOR UNDERSTANDING RISKS AND VIABLE SOLUTIONS – AN OVERVIEW
INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE ON CONTAMINATED LAND
© Environment Agency Austria
 Nelson Mandela and Frederik
Wilhem de Klerk honoured by
Nobel Price for Peace
 Windows 3.1 released
 Clinton took over from Bush sen.
 EU: Common Market & new
accession countries (SE, FI, AT)
 Global network of regulators
and policy advisors founded
© Environment Agency Austria
MISSION: to provide
 a platform, open to any
country,
 in which issues and
problems of contaminated
land (soil & waters) can be
discussed and
 information freely
exchanged to the benefit
of all participants
VIENNA (1993): 1st meeting
WASHINGTON , USA (2011)
DURBAN, ZA (2013)
MELBOURNE, AU (2015)
COPENHAGEN , DK
(2017)
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5. FRAMEWORKS FOR UNDERSTANDING RISKS AND VIABLE SOLUTIONS – AN OVERVIEW5
Activities & contaminants
Copper Mining
Source: ICCL; 2011 (Environment Ministry of Chile)
F
C S
O
PFAS / PFOS
Source: COMMON FORUM; 2016 (Miljodirektoratet; NORWAY)
2005

6. FRAMEWORKS FOR UNDERSTANDING RISKS AND VIABLE SOLUTIONS – AN OVERVIEW
©ICCL;193
WORKING ACROSS & CONNECTING SCALES
STRATEGIES & ACTIONS
 common principles &
overarching objectives
 national policy & guidance
 regional planning
 local implementation
 advise
 control
©EnvironmentAgencyAustria
 NEED TO BUILD BETTER COMMON UNDERSTANDING
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7. FRAMEWORKS FOR UNDERSTANDING RISKS AND VIABLE SOLUTIONS – AN OVERVIEW
COMMON UNDERSTANDING (?)
Contamination / Pollution (synonym or different?)
BASELINE (referenced to) ?
 natural soil quality (properties and/or functions)
 Environmental quality standards (EQS)
ORIGIN ?
 human activities and / or natural processes
CONSEQUENCES ?
 may cause or causing harm (damage, liability, expenditures)
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8. FRAMEWORKS FOR UNDERSTANDING RISKS AND VIABLE SOLUTIONS – AN OVERVIEW
BARRIERS TO CONTAMINATED LAND MANAGEMENT
Examples (a personal selection on ‘systemic inertia’)
policy: old & wrong framing (e.g. ‘limit values’ or waste legislation)
knowledge: missing understanding regarding natural systems and
processes
behaviours: staying to routines and missing interactions of different
actors
practices & technology: hardly any good quality demonstration, nor
independent review
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9. FRAMEWORKS FOR UNDERSTANDING RISKS AND VIABLE SOLUTIONS – AN OVERVIEW
ARE WE WILLING TO LEARN / ADAPT / CHANGE ?
content frames actions
results
(errors)
incremental improvement
single-loop learning
reframing
double-loop learning
transforming (structural change/transition)
triple-loop learning
“TRIPLE-LOOP-LEARNING”
source: RISKBASE (2013); adapted
STRATEGIC CHANGES
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10. FRAMEWORKS FOR UNDERSTANDING RISKS AND VIABLE SOLUTIONS – AN OVERVIEW
Innovator Early adaptor Early majority
Attitude
towards new
techniques
Is not afraid to
take a risk
Organizes
political back up
Organizes back
up among
colleagues
Position within
the group
Very
independent
Is often asked for
advise
Solid, example
for others
Network Has side
network outside
own org.
Network within
own organisation
Informal
Motivation Working on new
ideas
Respect,
acknowledgement
Goes ahead of
the troops
Influenced by networking Consultants
Formal working
groups
Magazines
Conferences
PEOPLE (and attitudes)
© EURODEMO (2006)
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11. FRAMEWORKS FOR UNDERSTANDING RISKS AND VIABLE SOLUTIONS – AN OVERVIEW
RISK BASED LAND MANAGEMENT (2002)
Common European Concept
 Fit for use
 Protection of the environment
 Long term care
© Environment Agency Austria (2002)
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12. FRAMEWORKS FOR UNDERSTANDING RISKS AND VIABLE SOLUTIONS – AN OVERVIEW
RISK & SUSTAINABILITY
What’s common? What’s different?
Risk Sustainability
origin / use economy/science ecology / policy
based on … a mental construct ethical construct
objective transparency fairness
Important • single target
• accountability
• effectiveness
• multi-objective
• interdependency
• efficiency
question Should we act? How can we act?
support to better decisions better action
strategy prevent or limit synergy & avoid irreversibility
source: Environment Agency Austria & ICCL (2011)
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13. FRAMEWORKS FOR UNDERSTANDING RISKS AND VIABLE SOLUTIONS – AN OVERVIEW
DERIVING CONTAMINANT THRESHOLDS
CLASSIC APPROACH
background concentrations
a set of generic values (‘lists’)
trigger & intervention values
generic (remediation) target
values
independently derived for soil
and groundwater
SYSTEMIC APPROACH
 background concentrations
screening values (‘lists’)
 trigger values
 Environmental Quality Standards
sound science (‘knowledge driven’)
 tiered approach for site-specific
analysis based on a transparent and
systemic concept (soil & groundwater)
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14. FRAMEWORKS FOR UNDERSTANDING RISKS AND VIABLE SOLUTIONS – AN OVERVIEW
POTENTIAL PATHWAYS OF EXPOSURE
human (=receptor)
contaminated
site (=source)
water
airplant
animal
o d i d ioo d io
soil
…but which are relevant for a specific situation / site ?
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15. FRAMEWORKS FOR UNDERSTANDING RISKS AND VIABLE SOLUTIONS – AN OVERVIEW
CHARACTERISING EXPOSURE SCENARIOS
site specific
specific for land use
specific for contaminant
land use &
site specific
Contaminant
&
site specific
Physico-
chemical
characteristics
“activities”
EXPOSURE
SCENARIOS
pathways
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16. FRAMEWORKS FOR UNDERSTANDING RISKS AND VIABLE SOLUTIONS – AN OVERVIEW
SETTING THRESHOLDS & CHANGING PERSPECTIVES
UK (2008)
• 3 million new homes by 2020
• at least 60 % on brownfield land
AUSTRIA (under debate)
• a new funding scheme for reuse of
historically contaminated sites to
reduce land consumption (15 ha/d)
 synergies to combat land degradation
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17. FRAMEWORKS FOR UNDERSTANDING RISKS AND VIABLE SOLUTIONS – AN OVERVIEW
REMEDIATION POLICY: CHANGING PARADIGMS
It’s not concentrations, but about creating benefits while
minimizing negative consequences (risks)
Dig and dump is not a sustainable technology but trading off
pollution
Understanding time frames – extensive and intensive remediation
approaches
o Make use of natural processes and stimulate if feasible (“working
with nature”)
o Apply intensive bioremediation
o Apply other techniques for non-degradable components and source
reduction
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18. FRAMEWORKS FOR UNDERSTANDING RISKS AND VIABLE SOLUTIONS – AN OVERVIEW
TOWARDS BETTER GOVERNANCE
RISK-INFORMED (transparent & accountable)
 natural capacities & ecosystem services (from local to global)
 societal system and processes (human well-being)
SUSTAINABLE (fair, environmental friendly and participatory)
 corporate responsibility (“bottom-up”)
 social learning (3-loop: improve, reframe, transform)
 resilient strategies (to cope with complexity, uncertainty, ambiguities)
 options & scenario-thinking (anticipate different futures)
 from BAT to NEXT (‘new’ environmental technologies-“factor 4”)
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19. | FRAMEWORKS FOR UNDERSTANDING RISKS AND VIABLE SOLUTIONS – AN OVERVIEW
CONTACT & INFORMATION
Dietmar MÜLLER-GRABHERR
International Committee on Contaminated Land
Webpage: www.iccl.ch
E-Mail: CF-secretariat@umweltbundesamt.at
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ENVIRONMENT AGENCY AUSTRIA
www.umweltbundesamt.at
Global Symposium on Soil Pollution
Rome (Italy)  2 May 2018
“And just as we have the power to shape culture,
we also have the power to undo the culture,
that does not serves us well.“ (Janelle Monáe, 2018)