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Closed landfills take up a considerable amount of space in many European Member States. Many locations are situated near the edge of cities and villages. In terms of efficient space usage, closed landfills can provide alternative locations for companies, offices, golf courses, city parks or ski runs, for greenhouse farming or the cultivation of forests. However, many closed landfills may also pose a risk to the environment. In order to protect the environment from the negative consequences of landfills, it is necessary to investigate the potential risks involved and to take special measures if needed.

SufalNet aims to identify and bring together expertise available in Europe. 22 organizations of 12 different Member States participate in SufalNet. The network is led by the Province of North-Brabant, the Netherlands and will run for 3 years (2005-2007). Papers, showcases and presentations will be prepared and will be discussed during seminars to be held at regular intervals. It will result in a model strategy based on “best practices”. 

 

More information is available at the website of the SufalNet Project www.sufalnet.net

 

This newsletter will tell you more about the activities and results of the SufalNet Project.

 

 

 

In our region we have planned to build 160.000 houses and we want to develop 7.000 hectares into industrial area. Because our region is densely populated we need to economize on space in order to conserve nature and greenfields. Closed landfills take more than 1200 hectares of space and are environmental risks. In order to solve both problems at the same time we started making these closed landfills suitable for recreational, industrial and even residential purposes. 

 

It is important to realize that one can learn from others by looking beyond national borders. It is even more important now to co-operate and to show results to the citizens in all Member States of the European Union. Citizens want to evaluate the performance of the European Union as we have seen in the elections in France and the Netherlands regarding the European Constitution. I am aware of this challenge of SufalNet. It is important to bring the European Union closer to its citizens. In this respect the INTERREG IIIC programme is very helpful to strengthen economic and social cohesion in the European Union by promoting interregional co-operation. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The opening seminar was held in June 2005 and took place over two days. The regional Councillor for Environment ms Annemarie Moons and President of the Project ms Lia Loesberg opened SufalNet. After a general introduction on closed landfills the problem description and the next steps of SufalNet were discussed in three parallel workshops on examination, aftercare and redevelopment.

It was concluded that based on a rough estimation, Europe counts more than 150.000  closed landfills. Most landfills are not or insufficiently provided with appropriate measures and facilities to protect its environment from contamination. The quality of soil and groundwater can be affected due to leaching of contaminants from the waste material and air pollution can be caused by emissions of biogas.

 

The landfillsite ‘Gulbergen’ was visted at the second day of the seminar. A golfcourse of 27 holes has been constructed at the top of this closed landfill.

 

More information is available at www.sufalnet.net

 

 

 

The second seminar out of 6 was held in October 2005 and was hosted by Northtown Technology Park. Especially best practices available in the EU in examining environmental risks of old land-fills were dis-cussed and eva-luated. Papers on groundwater-sampling, monitoring and gas-emissions were presented by Geological Survey of Lower Saxony (Germany) and Waste- and Soilcare (Netherlands). Also experiences in the United Kingdom, Lithuania and the Netherlands with these old landfills were discussed.

The Labein Research Institute introduced a draft of the model-strategy on how to collect, modell, assess, maintain and communicate data of old landfills.At the second day Lithuanian experts were invited to particpate in the discussions. Two landfills in Vilnius, one still open and one closed were visited.

 

More information is available at www.sufalnet.net

 

 

The City Council of Belfast (United Kingdom) has decided to develop the North Foreshore in a thoughtful fashion that would ensure that it generates long term sustainable benefits for the people of the city over several generations.

 

 

In October 2005 a franchise exhibition and showcase event was held about the redevelopment of the North Foreshore landfill. Councilor Nelson McCausland stated in his introduction:

 

“The North Foreshore presents Belfast City Council with a unique opportunity to transform a former landfill site into an area where economic development, waste management and open space can co-exist in a way that creates jobs, facilitates future waste management and provides a valuable open space resource. In so doing, it will create a better Belfast for the 21^st century.”

 

The citizens of Belfast have been asked to give their ideas on the Council’s proposals.

 

More information is available at www.belfastcity.gov.uk/northforeshore

 

A new way of thinking about European funds and regional policymaking was discussed on November 30^th 2005, at Torino Incontra in Turin (Italy). The SufalNet Project as an example of this new way of thinking was presented to the city. The Regional Councilor for Environment, Dr. Sergio Conti, took the opportunity to underline the importance of wide European projects that benefits Piedmont. This statement was largely underwritten by the Asti Councilor for Environment Giovanni Pensabene and the President of Local Marketing Turin and Piedmont (MKTP) Fabio Massimo Grimaldi. All of them witnessed a deep attention about the SufalNet project and its more interesting expected results: to produce useful tools and practices for public administrations to achieve their environmental and urban space related goals. The presentation of the project was run by René Beijnen (Province of North Brabant), lead partner of SufalNet, by Ms. Paola Morris (MKTP Project Manager) and by Mr. Erik Balzzaretti (Coördinator of IED’s Master in Environmental Communication).

 

 

The next seminar of SufalNet will be in Venice on 9  and 10 May 2006 and will be hosted by CORILA.

  

CORILA manages research activities on polluted sites in the Venice Lagoon. Papers and showcases of 4 partners in SufalNet from Germany, Italy and Slovakia on how to turn closed landfills into urban and natural parks will be presented and discussed. A draft of a model-strategy on when and how to redevelop closed landfills will be discussed too. Both days will be open for external participants as well. As a showcase the San Guiliano landfill as part of the Porto Marghera will be visited. Between 1945 and 1990 industrial and urban waste was dumped. In 2004 it was officially opened as an urban park of 60 hectares with 10 kilometres of pedestrian an cycle paths to improve the urban quality and to connect Mestre town and the lagoon of Venice.