remediation of contaminated sites

Under the unification treaty that was concluded with the former East Germany, the Federal Republic of Germany took possession of the former East Germany’s assets and assumed liability for its debts. As a result, the entirety of the former East Germany’s industrial sector and its contaminated sites also became the responsibility of the Federal Republic of Germany.

Strategic financing of applied research has considerably improved the scientific and technical basis for contaminated-site remediation in Germany. And while technical solutions to the problem of contaminated sites are now largely within reach, the requisite financial resources are not always ready to hand.