ESPINOZA TOFALOS Anna Speranza
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CAMBIER Sébastien
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DE LAULANIE DE SAINTE CROIX Elise
Send an emailDevelopment and implementation for Contaminated Sites Management and Preventive Soil Protection
The Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Biodiversity (MECB) and its Environmental Agency are elaborating a law on soil protection and management of contaminated sites in order to protect Luxembourg’s soils from various threats and to be in line with EU soil policies (EU green deal; EU soil strategy for 2030; the mission A Soil Deal for Europe (2023) and the recently adopted European Directive for Soil Monitoring and Resilience (Soil Monitoring Law). Soil pollution is particularly challenging to tackle in a law and policies on contaminated land management must above all be sustainable allowing a transparent and rational management of polluted sites and soils.
This integrated environmental project advances the sustainable management of contaminated land and soils in Luxembourg through the development of scientifically robust, practical, and nationally adapted tools. The project is structured around complementary sub-projects that combine stakeholder participation, data harmonization, and methodological development.
A core element is DECLAM (Decision Tools for Contaminated Land Management), a multi-year participatory process bringing together diverse stakeholders to co-develop decision-support tools for contaminated site management. This approach is innovative in its emphasis on long-term collaboration and the translation of scientific knowledge into operational tools that are both effective and broadly accepted.
The project also focuses on the development and refinement of risk-based assessment criteria, notably through the use of generic threshold values (valeurs de déclenchement, VD) to efficiently screen contaminated sites. As part of these activities, LIST is conducting scientific reviews and adaptation of a risk-assessment tool co-owned with Belgian partners, ensuring its relevance to the Luxembourg context.
In addition, LIST is initiating the development of a national soil data database, starting with a comprehensive inventory of existing soil data and metadata. This foundational step will support future legal and environmental requirements and is essential for long-term soil governance.
Finally, the project includes the assessment of background contaminant concentrations in sediments and alluvial deposits, providing a scientific basis for defining thresholds for sediment reuse and valorization.