Remediation of old ecological burdens

Disposal and remediation of old environmental damage

Old ecological burdens were caused exclusively by human activities, such as industrial and chemical production or mining and quarrying. Until 1990, these ecological damages were mainly caused by inappropriate management of hazardous substances and inappropriate intrusive mining activities. As a consequence of many years of inadequate security of technology, improper handling of hazardous substances, the absence of waste management measures or even accidents at old sites, high concentrations of hazardous contaminants have accumulated and are causing toxicity directly in the old buildings of production plants, in the surrounding soil, in the rock environment and in surface and groundwaters. However, the extent of the damage is far-reaching and affects other components of the environment, including significant impacts on all ecosystems in the affected area.

The processes of removing old environmental burdens concern mainly contaminated sites such as landfills, industrial and agricultural sites, small businesses, unsecured storage sites for hazardous substances, former military bases, areas affected by mining or abandoned and closed mining waste sites. All these hazardous sites are covered by the national database "National Inventory of Contaminated Sites" (NIKM).

MEGA's advantages in the field of ecological damages elimination

MEGA has been carrying out surveys and remediation of old ecological burdens since 1991. We are the leading experts in eliminating the consequences of environmental accidents and soil and water decontamination. At the same time, we collaborate with Czech universities and other experts from this field to develop innovative remediation methods that are more effective, faster and ultimately cheaper than conventional long-term remediation procedures.

We carry out turnkey remediation works according to the investor's requirements, from the on-site survey and risk analysis to designing the appropriate type of remediation, the actual remediation works connected with the removal of the source of the ecological burden, and complete decontamination of the site, to subsequent post-remediation monitoring.

We have all authorizations for the design and management of technical works for the removal of old ecological burdens, especially for the remediation of industrial sites, the reclamation of old landfills and the mitigation of the consequences of mining activities.

We guarantee the removal of ecological burdens according to the requirements of state authorities or the contracting authority of the remedial works.

Comprehensive solutions for remediation projects of old ecological burdens

We carry out complex remediation works:

• design, implementation, supervision and evaluation of geological and remediation works,
• survey works in the whole range of activities, special survey procedures (link vertical stratification, link Vanta),
• processing of risk analysis using modern methods and high-end software (link AR, link surfer, modflow, GWB),
• demolition of contaminated masonry and buildings,
• remediation of saturated and non-saturated zones, use of state-of-the-art in situ remediation methods (link electroremediation),
• management of waste generated during remediation works,
• biological reclamation, landscaping and other forestry works,
• post-remediation monitoring of all environmental components,
• supervision of remediation works.

Decontamination methods used & subsidy advice

The selection of application of individual remediation methods and procedures is based on the type of contamination, characteristics of the rock environment and hydrogeological conditions. Highly effective innovative methods developed within the framework of MEGA research activities are proposed.

MEGA applies the following remediation interventions at sites with ecological contamination:

• in situ (directly in the rock mass),
• on-site (in the location of the remediated site),
• off-site (outside the remediated site).

Our portfolio of services also includes subsidy activities. We have a team of experts who will assess the submitted project and, if necessary, recommend suitable modifications so that it is possible to apply for a financial contribution from one of the subsidy programmes. We also carry out the design activity itself.

MEGA & Uranium Mining

After the decline of uranium mining, geological and ecological activities were gradually redirected from the uranium industry to the exploration, evaluation and remediation of industrial ecological burdens, where the company has developed into a major remediation company. However, due to its extensive experience with radioactive contamination, MEGA is still perceived as a specialist in mitigating the consequences of uranium mining in the Czech Republic, especially chemical mining deposit in Stráž pod Ralskem. Since 1996, when the elimination of the chemical mine in the Czech Republic actually began, we have been significantly involved in the development of the remediation methodology, its technological, ecological and economic assessment and subsequently in the supervision of the work. As a part of the elimination of surface areas after uranium mining in the area of the Stráž pod Ralskem and Hamr na Jezeře deposits, we acted as "construction manager", which represented technical supervision of demolition works and financial control of the reported works. We are currently involved in researching other activities related to uranium mining, particularly the possibility of using tailings from mining or the separation and potential use of accompanying elements in the remediation of chemical mining. A comprehensive study of a modern approach to mining sedimentary-type deposits has been prepared under the BETA programme for TA CR.