Report harmful soil changes, contaminated sites or environmental complaints

According to the Bremen Soil Protection Act § 3 (1), concrete indications or circumstances that suggest the suspicion of a harmful soil change or contaminated site (e.g. contamination discovered during construction work) must be reported to the competent authority without delay. This obligation applies to anyone who is named as an "obligated party" in the Federal Soil Protection Act. The Soil Protection and Contaminated Sites Department of the Senator for the Environment, Climate and Science or the Environmental Protection Office at Bremerhaven City Council are available to assist you with the notification.

Requirements

If there are concrete indications or circumstances that suggest the suspicion of a harmful soil change or contaminated site, this must be reported by the party required to report.

In particular, the following must be reported:

• polluter of a harmful soil change or contaminated site
• Property owner
• Owner of the actual power over a plot of land

In the case of construction measures, foundation soil soundings, excavations or similar interventions in the subsoil, the obligation to notify is also incumbent on the building owner.

If a company is commissioned to investigate the subsoil during construction work, the site manager, surveyor or the responsible contractor is obliged to inform the client of any suspicion of a harmful soil change or contaminated site and to inform him of his obligation to notify the soil protection authority.