Page 147 - Beyond Decommissioning

128 Beyond Decommissioning

Technology-related risks are multiple. For example, there are risks associated with
the use of innovative, untested techniques, or the unexpected/underestimated impacts
on a natural habitat by the introduction of new site uses. Technology acceptance is
linked to stakeholder involvement. Transportation risk is linked to the shipment of
cleanup wastes or the import of construction material to the site being cleaned and
redeveloped. Industrial and traffic accidents could undermine the credibility accep-
tance of the project by stakeholders.
Programmatic risks are due to uncertainties that depend on schedule constraints,
technology readiness, logistics (e.g., the availability of tools, workers, licenses),
and funding assurance (this may be subject to changes, often beyond control by project
managers).
Environmental risks attached to remediation and redevelopment address ecological
systems onsite or offsite. For example, landscaping consisting of removal of topsoil,
while removing surface contamination, may damage the soil ecosystem. In some pro-
jects an area wider than the actual contamination may be needed for interim or per-
manent installations, for example, waste stores; handling of contaminated materials
may transfer contamination to farther places. It can make little sense in removing a
well fixed, dormant soil contaminant when this results in a higher volume of mobile
waste forms (International Atomic Energy Agency, 2002).
By summarizing issues dealt with in the previous chapters and sections, a devil’s
advocate presentation is given here of the main factors militating against reuse of
contaminated sites (Collaton and Bartsch, n.d.).
For decades, processing plants, steel mills, and other industrial facilities have con-
taminated land, water, and air. Public awareness of the problem has grown recently, as
have knowledge of the human health and environmental risks and recognition that
contaminants must be minimized or fully eliminated. But despite the obvious benefits
of site reuse, critical barriers also have grown.

5.10.1 Cost of environmental cleanup
Cleanup adds to the cost of any redevelopment project, and often significantly. In most
areas adequate financing to perform cleanup and redevelopment operations is rarely
available in manageable terms. The mere suspicion of contamination has significantly
increased lending costs. Much time and efforts are required to set up financial pack-
ages, and prospective borrowers must pay for environmental assessments. Because
these costs are not readily recovered in this business, brownfield sites are dramatically
disadvantaged compared with greenfield sites. Cleanup also takes considerable time,
delaying project completion by months or even years. Delays are costly for developers
and may undermine the profitability of a redevelopment project.

5.10.2 Uncertain liabilities
Regardless legislative definition of responsible parties, legal uncertainty often
envelops many individual projects and discourages reuse. Uncertainty about environ-
mental liabilities restrains planners and communities from obtaining the financing