County Administrative Board: "We can extend restrictions on boat traffic"

Investments in obtaining better knowledge to handle contaminated sediment areas have been initiated.

- As we have taken hold, mapped and classified the county's fiber-containing sediments, we have got a better picture of the situation in order to be able to continue the work, says Sören Thor.

According to the County Board's risk classification of fiber banks in Västernorrland, the sea area at Köpmanholmen is one of the ten areas found in the highest risk class. These ten areas must be given priority in the first place.

In Köpmanholmen there are the highest risks in terms of mercury, methyl mercury and dioxin and high spread risk. The deep harbor is also transported by large vessels.

A prohibition area for boat traffic is adjacent to the harbor - but the highest levels of mercury have been measured outside the area, at a depth of 18 meters.

- Some of the area has been canceled for boat traffic, but we see a need to revisit this as the fiber-containing sediments have a different distribution according to the latest surveys. We have the opportunity to extend restrictions on boat traffic, says Thor.

On land, remediation is something that is happening today and is slowly improving the pollution situation. In the water it goes slower.

But efforts have been made to step up the action. Among other things, a government mission has been initiated that will provide better knowledge for managing contaminated sediment areas.

The assignment started in the fall of 2019 and will last for three years in a collaboration between the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, the Swedish Geological Survey, the county administrative boards and the National Geotechnical Institute.

- The assignment includes developing guidelines for risk assessment of sediments, performing a pilot project for various remediation techniques and evaluating cost-effective treatment methods nationally and internationally, says Sören Thor.