remediation of complex contaminated sites: a practical guideline (2012)

Remediation of

Complex Contaminated Sites:

a Practical Guideline

26th IPMA World Congress

Crete, Greece, 2012

Philippe Vallat, Guido Schommer, Lea Meister

Ph. Vallat et al.,

IPMA World Congress 2012

Remediation of complex

contaminated sites1

Content

• Introduction: – Environmental protection authorities

– Complex contaminated sites

• Complexity:– Main challenges

– Dimensions

– Complexity graphs

• Success factors:– Overview

– The 10 golden rules

• References

• Authors

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contaminated sites2

Distinction btw complex and

complicated: the Cynefin Framework

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contaminated sites4

INTRODUCTION

Remediation of Complex Contaminated Sites: a Practical Guideline

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contaminated sites5

The environmental protection

authorities in Switzerland

• Federal office for the

environnement FOEN

• Other federal

authorities (e.g. Federal

office for transports,

Federal Department of

Defense, …)

• 26 cantonal authorities

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contaminated sites6

Complex contaminated sites:

e.g. DIB Bonfol

• Landfill exploited 1961-

1976

• 114 000 tons of

hazardous waste

• Surface 20 000 m2

• Remediation:

– Ca. 15 years

– Ca. 300 Mio €

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contaminated sites7

www.bci-info.ch

Complex contaminated sites:

e.g. SMDK Kölliken

• Landfill exploited 1978-

1985

• 555 000 tons of

hazardous waste

• Surface 70 000 m2

• Remediation:

– Ca. 15 years

– Ca. 600 Mio €

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contaminated sites8

www.smdk.ch

Complex contaminated sites

Characteristics:

• Problem and solution are unknown

• XXL project

• Long duration

• Multiple authorities (e.g. international, national, regional, cantonal, communal, …)

• Socio-political

Challenges:

• Technical

• Legal

• High political and social pressure

• Limited resources

• Limited PM skills

• Limited skills in complexity management

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contaminated sites9

COMPLEXITY


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contaminated sites10

The main challenges

• The contaminated site

– How to keep the general view on the multiple

dimensions?

• The project context

– How to deal with media, social and political scrutiny?

• Time

– How fast shall a decades old problem be solved?

• The role of the authority

– How to decide under high uncertainty?

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Logical levels

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Global remediation projectGlobal remediation project

Remediation

project

Party responsible

for remediation

Execution

procedure

Authorities

Global remediation project

Remediation

project

Party responsible

for remediation

Execution

procedure

Authorities

Logical level Terminology Content Ownership

Content Remediation project Technical

remediation project

Party responsible for

remediation

Process Execution procedure All the project

dimensions

Authority

Paradigm shift: from content (only)

to content AND process

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The 4 dimensions

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Science &

TechniqueLegal Social Management

WBS

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Global remediation

Environnement

Water

Soil

Air

Waste

Health

Public health

Comestible goods

Safety

Land planning

Land planning

Land usage

Constructions

Legal

Vertical coordination

Neighbour countries

Confederation

Neighbour cantons

Districts

Communes

Horizontal coordination

Environnement

Land planning

Health

Legal procedures

Liabilities

Formal procedures

Public procurement

Contracts

Finances

Operation budgets

Investment budgets

OTAS fund

Cantonal funds

Cost partition

Communication

Internal communication

External communication

Participation

PM

Objectives

Phases, schedule

Budget

Project organisation

Risk management

Steering and follow-up

Information and documentation

Complexity levels

D C B A

Parameter

or variable

Well known and

easily

manageable with

the standard

practices and

procedures of

the authority

Manageable

with the

standard

practices and

procedures of

the authority

Exceeds the

ordinary

capacities of the

organization

Exceeds largely

the ordinary

capacities of the

organization.

High degree of

uncertainty

Needs No particular

need for special

procedure or

special resources

Analysis and

internal

coordination

Working in

projects, relying

on extraordinary

resources and

experts

Working in

projects, with

extraordinary

resources and

expertise.

Innovation

Problem Simple Complicated Complicated Complex

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Complexity matrix (e.g.)

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Parameter Questions Possible answersD C B A

TECHNICAL

Total volume or thickness

What is the volume? < 10'000m3

or < 2m10-50'000m3

or 2-5m50-100'000m3

or 5-10m>100'000m3

or > 10mUncertainty What is the uncertainty? < 10% 10-20% 20-50% > 50%

LEGALComplexity of the procedure

Which are the importantlegal steps? How are the decisions taken?

Simpledecision of one authority

Decision of executive authority, including internal consultation

Decision of executive authority, including external consultation

More complex procedure:legislative, popular vote etc.

SOCIALPublic reputation of party respons. for remediation

How is the party perceived by the public and by opinion leaders?

Neutral Disinterest Considered as «guilty»

Considered as «victim»

MANAGEMENT

Clarity of objectives

Have objectives been defined? How are they continuously reviewed?

Defined, understood

Defined, poorlyunderstood

Defined, uncertain

Undefined, uncertain

Complexity graph (e.g.)

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Pollution potential

Dispersion of

hazardous substances

Goods which

need to be protected

Urgency of

remediation

Surroundings and

accessibility

Particular hazards

Technical solution

Uncertainty about

total volume

Total volume

The problemThe solution

Structure for defining objectivesType of

results

Description Time Examples

Outputs Products, goods and

services

short

term

• Realized and documented

investigations

• Communicated decisions

• Executed remediation

Outcomes Effects on the goods

which need to be

protected, on the

concerned (group of)

people

middle

term

• Decreasing or suppressed danger

• Utilization of the good which needs

to be protected

• Satisfaction of the concerned

people

Impacts Effects on the whole

population

middle

and long

term

• Environment quality

• Quality of life

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Examples of possible objectives

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Role

Possible outcomes

Science and

technic

Legal Social Management

Authority Re-establishing

the legal

compliance

Regulatory

compliance

(construction,

health,

environmental,

…)

Confidence of

the population

Deadline for the

remediation

Party

responsible

for

remediation

Reuse of the real

property

Legal security Reputation Costs

optimization /

minimization,

deadline for

remediation

Geological

consultant

New know-how Legal

compliance

(prevent civil

responsibility)

Reputation Economics

SUCCESS FACTORS


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Key success factors

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The 10 golden rules

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1. STRUCTURE Identify the relevant themes and dimensions, establish the decision-making

process, the communication and the controlling.

2. RESOURCES Endow the project with enough and dedicated resources, early enough.

3. THE RIGHT PEOPLE Designate a coordinator with high social competences; endow her with

resources, competences and legitimacy. Establish a multidisciplinary and cross-

department project team with all required experts.

4. COMMUNITY

PARTICIPATION

Identify and get in contact with the concerned communities and stakeholders:

establish community participation and a culture of dialog.

5. TIME Find the balance between taking time for reflexion and loosing time in

undecision. Avoid quick shots, think in the long term, make sure that the

project progresses continuously.

6. TRUST Establish and nurture trust with the quality and transparency of the project

work and steering. Take good care of interpersonal relationships.

7. STEERING Endorse the project leadership : ensure a structured and transparent process,

manage risks actively, take the necessary decisions.

8. WORK-LIFE BALANCE Look after the work-life balance of the project members: workload, stress,

emotional load and exposure to criticism.

9. COURAGE Assume risks, uncertainties and unknowns, take timely decision, manage the

conflicts.

10. HUMILITY Accept your limits, the unknown and learn from mistakes.

Any (toxic) question?

Ph. Vallat et al.,




Authors

Philippe Vallat

Conseil & Formation

Ch. du Couchant 23

CH-1752 Villars-sur-Glâne

Switzerland

[email protected]

http://projetscomplexes.blogspot.com

Twitter: @vallatph

On behalf of the FOEN

Federal Office for the Environment

CH-3003 Bern

Switzerland

www.bafu.admin.ch

Guido Schommer, Lea Meister

reflecta ag

Schwarztorstr. 56

Postfach 530

CH-3000 Bern 14

Switzerland

www.reflecta.ch

Ph. Vallat et al.,




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2004

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remediation of complex contaminated sites: a practical guideline (2012)

Leadership & Management