The use of excavated soil

During construction projects, road works, installation of utility cables and similar operations, volumes of soil are excavated or stripped from the surface. Sometimes this excavated soil is re-used as filling material on the excavation site. In most cases, however, the excavated soil will be carried off for re-use on other locations. Soil can be re-used for instance for raising the profile of a terrain or filling of pits. Soil can be incorporated in the body of a dyke or in the sub-foundation of roadways.

If groundworks are carried out on a contaminated site, chances are very real that existing soil contamination will be spread in this way. In order to prevent this dispersion of soil contamination and to offer sufficient legal security to the different actors involved in the use of excavated soil, the Flemish government drew up directives related to the use of excavated soil. This regulation is established as part of the the VLAREBO (Flemish regulations on soil remediation) and came into force on January 1st 2004.

In order to meet the predefined targets, the regulations on the use of excavated soil first impose a soil quality survey. The nature of the excavation works and the volume of soil that is released by them will determine the type of exploratory strategy that has to be followed. Secondly, the regulations fixe the conditions for the use of the excavated soil. Depending on the soil quality, the site for re-use and the anticipated application, the excavated soil can under certain conditions be re-used in-situ or elsewhere. The basic principle here is the stand-still principle, which means that no deterioration of the current environmental condition is allowed. Finally, a tracking procedure guarantees the administrative follow-up of the active soil flows.

OVAM is acting as the supervising authority in the regulation on the use of excavated soil. The administrative follow-up of the active soil flows is carried out by different organizations (soil management organizations, interim storage facilities and centres for soil purification) that have been accredited by the OVAM.