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On Thursday, 10 July, Zane Grīva, Deputy State Secretary for Finance at the Ministry of Climate and Energy (MoCE), and Andris Ķēniņš, Director General of the State Environmental Service (SES), signed an agreement on the implementation of the project “Historically polluted site remediation in Aizkraukle”.
This significant event marks the official launch of the implementation phase of the project ‘Remediation of Historically Contaminated Sites’ under the Latvia–Switzerland Cooperation Programme, with the aim of carrying out the clean-up of the contaminated area in Aizkraukle.
The historical pollution in Aizkraukle, at 10 Dzelzceļa Street originated in the territory of a reinforced concrete products factory, which was built in the mid-20th century for the construction of the Plavinu hydroelectric power station.
The area of the territory is approximately 10.6 ha, and a detailed investigation of the site has identified oil product contamination across around 2.7 hectares. In this area, the level of pollution exceeds the soil and groundwater quality limit values established by regulatory requirements.
“The implementation of remediation projects is important for the State Environmental Service, as it contributes to improving environmental quality — resulting in a cleaner, safer, and more orderly environment for the citizens. The remediation of the territory will ensure that pollution does not reach the waters of the Daugava River, which is a primary source of drinking water for a large part of Latvia’s population. Thanks to the Swiss–Latvian Cooperation Programme, the generation of future emissions from the source of contamination in the soil and groundwater will be significantly reduced and contained. Following the completion of planned remediation works, a post-remediation monitoring system will be established to ensure that environmental processes within the area comply with environmental quality standards,” says Andris Ķēniņš, Director General of the State Environmental Service, highlighting the benefits of the remediation project.
“This project is an excellent example of how international cooperation can make a significant contribution to improving environmental quality in Latvia. Thanks to the Swiss–Latvian Cooperation Programme, it is possible to implement long-term, impactful measures for the remediation of contaminated sites and to prevent further environmental damage. It is an investment in both public safety and the sustainable management of natural resources,” emphasizes Zane Grīva, Deputy State Secretary at Ministry of Climate and Energy, highlighting the importance of the cooperation.
The project will be financed with 13.1 million Swiss francs, or €13.8 million (€11.7 million from Switzerland and €2.1 million from the Latvian state budget), and will provide planned measures in an area of national importance in Aizkraukle to eliminate the source of pollution and prevent its further spread to groundwater and the Daugava River. Following the completion of the planned remediation works, a post-remediation monitoring system will be established to track environmental processes within the site, ensuring their compliance with the project objectives and environmental quality standards.
The implementation of the project will continue until 30 June 2029.
As reported that on 12 November 2024, the Swiss–Latvian Cooperation Programme agreement was signed for the implementation of the “Remediation of Historically Contaminated Sites” project, with funding of 14.47 million Swiss francs, or approximately 15.19 million euros. Within the framework of the programme, planned measures are scheduled until December 2029 at the nationally significant contaminated site in Aizkraukle, aimed at eliminating the source of contamination and preventing its further spread into groundwater and the Daugava River.
Additional information is available on the Swiss–Latvian Cooperation Programme website.
*Programme period: 2019–2029
A video about the programme is available here
More information about the programme is available here
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