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Germany has tackled the problem of contaminated land by giving private businesses the incentive to clean up the land while guiding its redevelopment. The government has created national uniform criteria to assess contaminated properties, which helps the private sector manage the risks and costs of cleanups. Germany has become a sought-after partner for other countries and is a leader in turning around megasites, tracts of land that are contaminated on a large scale by multiple sources.

Decontamination methods, R&D and training

Decontamination methods can be categorized as in-situ or ex-situ measures. Ex-situ remediation involves removing soil and groundwater and treating or disposing of it. In-situ measures do not require this and can therefore reduce costs substantially. Germany is focusing its research efforts on the development of effective in-situ technologies. The government has been supporting the development of cost-saving remediation technologies with about 100 million euro from 1998 to 2008. Most German universities offer degrees in environmental science or coursework such as geology, geo-ecology or chemistry.