Reclaiming Brownfield Landfills
Development of Denmark’s “brownfield” closed landfill sites is a worthwhile consideration in today’s urban growth climate. A brownfield can be defined as an area that was formerly used for industrial or commercial activities that possibly or certainly resulted in environmental contamination. They have historically been shunned and left to further degrade or perhaps even further damage, but can be approached with proper technology and management to once again be embraced by communities. Old landfills are an excellent launching point because they are often unambiguously owned by municipalities and are usually unburdened with decaying structures or equipment.
Although Denmark has spearheaded efforts to produce energy from waste and reduce landfilling, a small percentage of material waste that can neither be recycled nor incinerated continues to be diverted to landfills. For example, in 2010 Gerringe Landfill in Rødby accepted approximately 4.040 tons of waste. According to Miljøministeriet’s 2010-2011 benchmarking project, there is current oversight of sixty such landfills across the nation, twice the number of incineration plants. This is especially poignant to urban growth considering that – despite overall per capita reductions – the quantity of waste continues to increase with population growth.
After decades of trial and error of methods, it is possible to safely and sustainably redevelop the land atop closed landfills for community use. Both the EU and Denmark enforce strict regulations on the placement and management of landfills, and there are now advanced technologies for compacting (to prevent land shifting with breakdown), sealing, and extracting useful gases. Such land reuse was successfully implemented on the old landfill site in Svindinge in Østfyn, where the community invested to convert the land into forest and recreation areas including camping sites and bocce courts. Similar plans are in place for the closed harbor-side landfill in Frederiksværk. In this way, communities can reclaim public land for the enjoyment of nature and reconnection with the local area.
But where are all of these old landfill sites? Surely Copenhagen with its burgeoning urban population must have troves of closed landfills. Unfortunately, it is difficult to identify these sites; and only in recent years has it become a priority to register and remediate the contaminants. According to Region Hovedstad, they are aware of 48 such sites in the Copenhagen region, but are working on registering more and investigating the possibilities of site hazards – especially in regards to groundwater contamination. Just a four or five decades ago, it was considered acceptable to close landfills as “gravel pits” with little regard for their contents. Nowadays it is imperative that we gather as much information about all brownfields as possible and then act accordingly. Afterall, your children may be playing above a closed landfill, and you may not even be aware. For example, Valbyparken and Amagerfælled both rest upon prior landfills. Even IKEA in Gentofte is perched on the former Vangede landfill.
It is important to become involved in the planning for the landfills in your city. The first clear step in this process is to encourage the municipality with their investigations into former landfills and their safety. The next is to actively participate in the shaping of technological applications and land use development. Brownfields can be made safe and become valuable contributions to community life. Ultimately, they are a fact of life in sustainable cities, built upon the cities of old. Though ideally we will redesign our consumption habits to eliminate waste that cannot be recycled or incinerated, in the near future landfills are a reality; and if managed properly, their use after closure can be a benefit to society.
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