Historical explorations

A municipality intends to remove buildings. In this context, plots of land are to be uncovered. The land was classified by the district's lower soil protection authority as an area suspected of being contaminated in accordance with Section 2 (6) of the Federal Soil Protection Act (BBodSchG) and entered in the district's soil and contaminated site register. The suspicion of harmful soil changes or other hazards for individuals or the general public arose from the known use of an in-house petrol station relevant to contaminated sites. A historical investigation (HE) therefore had to be carried out for the old site before demolition work could be carried out.

The aim of the HE is to obtain information and findings on the past and present use of the site that are as complete as possible and to document them in a reliable manner. All suspected contaminated areas and uses of the site are to be identified and recorded. The result of the HE is to serve as the basis for the development of an investigation concept for an orientating investigation (OU) of this contaminated site.

Mull & Partner Ingenieurgesellschaft was commissioned to carry out the historical investigation for the above-mentioned site.

Two underground tanks (5 m³ VK and 10 m³ DK) and a petrol pump belonged to the own-use filling station operated in connection with the use by a beverage wholesaler (1959 - 2014). It is not documented whether these tanks were decommissioned and/or removed. This area was included in the HE as a suspected contaminated site.

A further need for action was proposed in the form of an orientating investigation with the following concept. In order to check whether the containers are still present, approx. 6 search shafts should first be excavated in the area of the former petrol station: