The management of polluted soils before leaving a site is required by regulations. In fact, any manufacturer that relocates had better to control pollution so that soil quality is suitable for the uses of the future occupant. Therefore, costs need to be assessed before making the decision to relocate. Scherdel Rhône Ressorts has been located on the same site for a very long time. The company is thinking about relocating and does not want to be caught on the hop. "We called on Cetim to carry out the soil survey because their expert has a good knowledge of our industry. He knows which products we work with and this makes exchanges easier", explains Julie Erba, HSE manager at Scherdel Rhône Ressorts. Cetim performed a historical site survey and supervised the soil and water table sampling operations. Cetim's experts analysed the results, proposed solutions and made a cost estimation. The company's business activity, equipment and financing capacity were also taken into account.
A pollution management plan
The results were as follows: metal concentrations are far lower than predicted however small traces of chemicals were found in the soil and under the building. This does not represent a danger though for carrying on business activity there. Nevertheless site remediation costs would have to be integrated in case of relocation. These costs will vary depending on whether another industrial plant or dwellings are settled on the site. A pollution management plan was drawn up in compliance with the requirements of the Regional Directorate for Planning, Housing and the Environment (DREAL – Direction Régionale de l'Environnement, de l'Aménagement et du Logement). Consequently, Scherdel Rhône Ressorts has all the necessary data to make an informed decision on whether or not to relocate its production site.
