Authorities and research institutes involved in contaminated areas

 

Authorities

Rescue departments

Rescue departments serve as emergency first responders in the event of oil and chemical spills.

Finnish Supervisory Agency, Cities of Helsinki and Turku

The Soil Protection Group of the Finnish Supervisory Agency acts as the state supervisory authority and is responsible for advising on contaminated sites, processing PIMA notifications and PIMA decisions. In Helsinki and Turku, this responsibility is transferred to the city’s environmental protection authority. The same authorities act as the supervisory authorities of sites to be remediated and, upon request, inspect and issue statements on contamination assessments , the need for remediation and the final reports of remediation projects.

Finnish Supervisory Agency

The Finnish Supervisory Agency operates throughout the country as a government support authority, which grants assistance for investigating contamination and remediating contaminated areas. In addition, the Finnish Supervisory Agency can organise the investigation or remediation of a contaminated area together with the partner and share the costs. Only in exceptional cases can the Finnish Supervisory Agency organise investigation and remediation entirely with state funds within the framework of the Clean Soil Programme.

Municipal health protection authorit

Municipal health protection assesses the health hazard and decides, for example, on restrictions on the use of and residence in facilities and areas as well as on the potability of domestic water.

Municipal environmental protection authority

The municipal environmental protection authority serves in projects where the amount of waste treated is less than 50,000 tonnes. The municipal authority is responsible for monitoring the state of the environment as well as the related investigations and research.

Finnish Environment Institute (Syke)

Syke organises training and develops activities in the field by participating in national and international research and development projects related to contaminated areas as well as in the development of regulation in the sector. Syke provides expert support to supervisory and permit authorities in challenging cases of contamination. 

Ministry of the Environmen

In general, the Ministry of the Environment develops the management of contaminated sites and legislation related to them. The Ministry also steers national projects and programmes related to contaminated areas, such as the Clean Soil Programme.

 

Research institutes