NA-BW Natural Attenuation -Implementation in the State of Baden-Wuerttemberg
Country: Germany
Start Date:           Duration:          Project Type: RTD
Contract Number: 
Organisation Type:  Agency, regulator or other governmental or inter-governmental body
Topics: 
Contaminated land-->Remediation options-->MNA
Project objectives: 
The project NA-Implementation in the state of Baden-Wuerttemberg aimed to make use of Natural Attenuation as a contaminated land management option in the 
widely and since long time used contaminated land management programmes in the state of Baden-Wuerttemberg.
Project Summary: 
Use of NA in Contaminated Land Management Programmes in the State of Baden-Württemberg/ Germany.    
   
For compounds which are sufficiently biodegradable, Natural Attenuation can be a valid concept in contaminated land and groundwater management programmes. 
However, for the implementation of this new approach in Germany scientific and technical aspects as well as legal aspects still have to be clarified. For this 
reason the present project was launched by the State of Baden-Württemberg’s Ministry of Environment and Transport (UVM). The project started in 1999. First 
a screening of the scientific and technical methodologies and the available implementation protocols in the field of Natural Attenuation was performed (PHASE-I). 
These methods have then been evaluated and the most suitable methods/techniques have or have been applied at selected field sites (NA-REFERENCE FIELD SITES) 
in the State of Baden-Württemberg. The contaminants of concern are: Ammonia, BTEX-compounds, PAHs and chlorinated solvents. Based on the experiences of 
the reference field site new guidelines were formulated in order to consider NA as a decision option in contaminated land management programmes in the state 
of Baden-Württemberg (PHASE-II). Meanwhile NA is in principle accepted as a decision option in contaminated land management programmes.
Achieved Objectives: 
The objectives achieved by the project are:    
1.) Development of a technical recommendation for the quantification of Natural Attenuation processes at field scale (including suitable monitoring 
strategies),   
2.) Establishment of a data and information basis for a competent discussion of the legal and administrative aspects in context with the use of Natural Attenuation 
processes for the remediation of contaminated sites in Germany,   
3.)Demonstration of the field implementation of Natural Attenuation based remediation measures at reference field sites.
Product Descriptions: 
Summary   
   
Inside this project technical recommendations for quantification and monitoring of NA at field scale were developed. As the methodologies were already 
successfully applied at the NA-Reference Sites it can be assumed that at least in the context of NA implementation in Germany suitable methods are available 
at present.    
The discussion on the legal aspects with respect to the use of NA in Germany is still ongoing.    
   
Based on the results of the detailed NA investigations performed at the NA reference sites Gaswork Site at the City of Kehl and the Osterhofen Landfill Site 
the responsible regulators have decided to rely on NA as a contaminated land management option at this sites. As this was one of the first decisions with respect 
to NA implementation in Germany the work performed may be considered as a pilot study or implementation-level study. NA is not yet state of the art in Germany 
but the decision to rely on NA as a contaminated land management option at the NA-reference sites will probably make the implementation of NA at other contaminated 
sites in future more easy.   
   
NA-BW - available resources   
   
1. The work of the project NA-Implementation in the state of Baden-Wuerttemberg was published at the state regulators contaminated land management homepage 
and in peer-reviewed journals.   
Product: Publication   
2. NA-Implementation landfill site   
Product: publication   
3. NA-Implementation gaswork site   
Product: publication
Additional Information:
Project Resources:
Weblink:
Funding Programme(s): 
National programme - details yet to be uploaded
Link to Organisations:
Submitted by: EUGRIS Team Dr Martin Bittens  Who does what?  02/07/2004 13:10:00
Updated by: EUGRIS Team Professor Paul Bardos  Who does what?  03/10/2006 13:20:00