Clean-up of gas works sites
Late in 2006 the first soil clean-up project at a former gas works site was started up as part of the soil clean-up programme in the province of Gelderland.
On 1 December the municipality of Rheden, the provincial authorities of Gelderland and Nuon gave the starting shot for this first clean-up project in Velp. A new residential area is to be built on the currently seriously polluted Nuon site in Velp. A total of 14 Nuon locations will be tackled in this manner in the period until 2015. Nuon, the provincial authorities, the Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment and the municipalities of Gelderland signed joint agreements for this in 2005.Similar agreements were already signed for the Nuon locations in the province of Noord-Holland in 2003. The first location taken in hand in that province was Purmerend. The work there has now been completed. Meanwhile, clean-up operations have also been started in the (former) Nuon locations at Hilversum, Zaandam, Alkmaar and Krommenie. At the end of 2006 the additional soil clean-up agreement for the former GEP site at the Oudeweg was also concluded between Nuon, the Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment, the province of North Holland and the municipality of Haarlem.
In Zuid-Holland the start of the Nieuw Leyden residential development project in 2006 also prompted preparations for the soil clean-up operations at the former gas works on the Langegracht and the gasholder site at the Maresingel. In the coming period the existing gas reception station and heat transport pipes will be relocated by Nuon. Nuon is transferring its buildings as well as the Nuon sites at the Langegracht and Maresingel to the municipality of Leiden. Regarding the other Nuon sites in Zuid-Holland (Katwijk, Noordwijk, Hillegom and Alphen), talks between Nuon and the municipalities in question are still ongoing.
Nuon is (co-)owner of a total of 28 former gas works sites. The soil and groundwater at these sites is often seriously polluted. Nuon is committed to cleaning these sites and making them suitable for re-use in cooperation with all authorities involved.
