Brussels City Council will be responsible for 30% of the cost of removing ground pollution, to a maximum cost of three million euros, if it proves necessary, as part of constructing the Stade National on car park C, in Heysel.
These provisions are laid out in the emphyteutic lease (long-term lease) concluded between the city council and the construction group Ghelamco.
These provisions are laid out in the emphyteutic lease (long-term lease) concluded between the city council and the construction group Ghelamco.
When the agreement between Brussels City Council, Brussels-Capital region, Ghelamco and the Anderlecht Football Club was made public last June, it became clear that Brussels City Council would contribute four million euros each year towards building costs for the stadium and that the city council and the Brussels-Capital region would each inject forty million euros into building of the underground car park, located next to the future stadium. If the ground in the current car park C should become significantly contaminated, three million euros would then be added to the bill.
The Flemish Waste Agency (OVAM) is not aware of any ground pollution on the site, which is why no analysis was initially requested. However, given that 250 cubic metres of earth are going to be moved – and 1.2 million cubic metres actually removed -, earthworks regulations are being implemented so that no contaminated rubble ends up elsewhere.
The Deputy Mayor (MR), Alain Courtois has, for his part, indicated that in the past the non-profit organisation Parc des Expositions, on its own initiative, had taken steps to check for pollution and that none had come to light. However, this non-profit organisation is refusing to publish both the scope and the results of the testing. “For a site of this size you would probably need anything up to a hundred drillings and tests,” commented a specialist in the field.
(Source: Belga)
