If the soil of a plot of land in Brussels is polluted, four times out of ten the cause is fuel oil.
Boilers leaking - both from individuals and old gas stations - deep in the ground are the biggest polluters. Someone building or renovating on a polluted piece of land has to remediate the land first. Remediation is the process of removing dangerous or poisonous substances from the soil, or limiting the effect that they have. In this case, the process can cost up to 300,000 euros, reports the RTBF.
A cooperation agreement between Flandres, Brussels and Wallonia led to a new fund, Premaz, which should help cover the remediation costs. By the end of 2019 the fund should hold around 159 million euros, coming from the existing fuel oil fund, among others.
The Environment Brussels organisation expects around 200,000 requests for help per year, over the whole of Belgium. In Brussels, the old-industrial canal zone is especially vulnerable. "This is the perfect opportunity for Brussels residents to carry out the expensive works," said Nathalie De Koninck from remediation company Esher. "It is really expensive, but the fund makes it more affordable," she added.
Maïthé Chini
The Brussels Times
