The successful completion of the groundwater pollution remediation project in the Port of Riga, with financial support from Switzerland, has been approved by the Swiss Parliament, the Freeport of Riga Authority, the Ministry of Environment and Regional Development, and the State Environmental Service. Following the assessment of the project’s progress and outcomes, plans are underway to launch a new cooperation program for the cleanup of historically contaminated areas in Aizkraukle, building on the successful experience gained in the Port of Riga.
Initiated in 2011 with financial support from the Swiss government, the project, “Remediation of historically polluted sites in the territory of Sarkandaugava,” completed the infrastructure construction phase in 2017. Currently, the Freeport of Riga Authority supports the infrastructure, conducting regular inspections, pumping out accumulated oil products, cleaning the system, and monitoring groundwater quality through laboratory tests. The project successfully addresses the issue of oil product pollution dating back to the Soviet era, employing innovative methods such as drilling injection wells, constructing communications, and installing mobile containers with oil product pumping and groundwater treatment facilities.
Image source: https://rop.lv/en/news/remediation-system-built-port-riga-successfully-solves-problems-groundwater-pollution