Soil contamination

The tasks of the Region of Southern Denmark regarding contaminated soil

The Region of Southern Denmark’s main task is to ensure that contaminated land does not pose a risk to people or the environment, in accordance with the Danish Soil Contamination Act.

The Region works to identify and map contaminated sites, carry out investigations and remeditaions in important drinking water areas and on residential properties, child care centres and public playgrounds, handle regulatory tasks together with the municipalities in connection with construction projects, changes in land use, soil relocation and voluntary clean-ups, and provide advice to residents living on (slightly) contaminated land.

Mapping of pollution

The Region of Southern Denmark maps (potentially) polluted sites to help ensure that contamination does not pose a risk to human health or the environment – and is not overlooked in future construction and development projects.

We map properties that are polluted or suspected of being polluted. This is done by systematically reviewing old archives and historical information to identify past or current activities that may have polluted soil or groundwater, for example service stations, car repair workshops or dry cleaners.

There are two mapping levels:

• Knowledge level 1 (V1): there is a suspicion of potential pollution based on historical information about activities that may have contaminated the property.
• Knowledge level 2 (V2): pollution has been confirmed, for example through analysis of soil, groundwater or soil air, or through documented spills.

Investigations of soil contaminations

The Region of Southern Denmark investigates contaminated sites to protect human health and the environment and to ensure that pollution is not overlooked in future construction projects. The public effort is prioritised where the risk is greatest – for example at homes, child care centres, public playgrounds, waterworks, valuable groundwater and protected surface waters.

When your property is investigated, a environmental consultancy company carries out the field work, with sampling of relevant material from the property. The results are later assessed against national environmental criteria. The results are then assessed and evaluated and the next step is decided.

You can usually expect a reply from the region approx. 6 months after the field work.

If the investigation shows contamination, your property will be registered as polluted (knowledge level 2), and further investigations may be needed if there is a risk to health or groundwater. 

If no contamination is found, the property is removed from the register and any restrictions are lifted.

Remediation of pollutions

The Region of Southern Denmark performs remediations of contaminated sites to protect human health and the environment. The public remeditation effort is prioritised where the risk is greatest – for example at homes, child care centres, public playgrounds, waterworks, valuable groundwater and protected surface waters.

After investigating a contamination, the region assesses whether it poses a risk and, if necessary, removes the parts of the pollution that threaten groundwater or people. Many property owners will have to wait for public remediation, but can in the meantime receive advice on how to reduce health risks.

If you do not want to wait, you might be able to apply for the value loss scheme ("Værditabsordningen") or choose – with the necessary permits and documentation – to clean up the contamination yourself.

Do you live on a contaminated residential property?

When you live on a contaminated property, you have both duties and rights. You must inform the municipality if you plan to build, move soil, discover new contamination, or sell or rent out the property. These rules help ensure that contaminated soil is handled safely and wont be spread uncontrolled.

As an owner, you may in some cases receive public support to investigate or clean up the contamination, or apply for compensation under the value loss scheme ("Værditabsordningen") if you bought the property without knowing it was contaminated. Please contact the region if you wish to know more about your options.

Slightly contaminated soil

Clean soil is soil without measurable or health-relevant pollution.
Slightly contaminated soil contains small amounts of pollution that normally do not pose a significant risk in everyday use, but must be handled and sometimes moved according to guidelines.
Contaminated soil contains higher levels of pollution that may pose a risk to people or the environment and therefore requires special assessment, protection and often clean-up.

Guidelines regarding slightly contaminated soil

You can easily live with slightly contaminated soil by following a few simple everyday precautions. The health risk is small compared with many other risks people are exposed to in daily life.

• Avoid letting children play with the contaminated soil or put it in their mouths
• Cover bare soil with tiles, gravel, small stones, bark, grass or ground-cover plants
• Wash hands after gardening and outdoor play.
• Change shoes when moving indoors, so soil is not carried onto floors and carpets
• Grow strawberries and herbs in clean soil in raised beds, as it is difficult to rinse off all the soil when plants grow close to the ground.
• Wash fruit and vegetables and peel root crops before use, as they grow directly in the soil.

Building and construction on a contaminated property

If you plan to build or carry out construction work on a contaminated property, you will usually need permission from the municipality. This applies, for example, to new buildings, renovations, excavation work, changes in land use and major removal of soil. Please contact the relevant municipality for further information.

If you discover previously unknown contamination, you must stop the work and contact the municipality, which will assess the situation and inform the region.

Categorizing pollutions on residential properties

Contaminated residential properties are divided into three different categories: F0, F1 and F2. This is done to make it easier to understand how severe the pollution is, and what the pollutions means for the use of your house and garden. This is called “nuancing” and works like a condition report that can help when buying, selling or mortgaging a contaminated property.

The explanation of each category is as follows:

• F0 – The contamination does not pose a risk during normal use of house and garden. You can use your property as normal. 
• F1 – The contamination does not pose a risk for normal use of house and garden if you follow a few simple guidelines, as described above. 
• F2 – The contamination does or may pose a risk for the use of house and garden and may need further investigation.

For the categories F0 and F1, the Region of Southern Denmark  does not carry out further investigations or remediation, unless the contamination threatens important groundwater. F2 means the contamination is closer to the surface and/or may affect indoor air, so further investigations – and in some cases remediation will be needed.

Contamiation investigations

As the owner of a contaminated property, you have several options for having the pollution investigated. You can wait for a possible public investigation, pay for a private investigation, or – if you meet certain criteria – apply for a housing investigation ("Boligundersøgelse") or for inclusion in the value loss scheme ("Værditabsordningen").

If the contamination poses a risk to human health or groundwater, the Region of Southern Denmark will prioritise your property for public investigations. It may take several years before the region can prioritise your property for investigations. 

If this doesn't apply to your property, or you can't wait for the region, you may also choose to commission your own investigation through a private consultancy.

As a homeowner who did not know about the contamination when you bought the property, you may be able to apply to have your property investigated more quickly through the housing investigations ("Boligundersøgelse") or for inclusion in the value loss scheme ("Værditabsordningen").

Contact us

If you have any questions about any of the topics described above, you are always welcome to contact the Region of Southern Denmark. Our contact information is listed below.