Award for Eschendorf floodplain reuse of General Wever barracks in Rheine.
Rheine. In order to raise public awareness of the importance of soil protection and land conservation in densely populated areas, the Ministry of Environment and Transport and the Association for Land Recycling and Remediation of Contaminated Sites (AAV) today awarded the NRW Soil Protection Prize for the fifth time. “Our soil is the literal reason for biodiversity and species diversity, for clean groundwater and the preservation of soil function is important for climate adaptation. It is also the basis for economic production, for housing and, last but not least, for our recreation,” said State Secretary for the Environment and Transport Viktor Haase on the occasion of the award, which was presented as part of the “Alliance for the Surface” initiative. “Our land is a precious commodity. The state government therefore wants to reduce land consumption to five hectares per day in the short term and further in the long term,” Haase said.
The two main prizes go to projects in the district of Viersen and in the city of Rheine, each of which is endowed with 4,000 euros. Rheines head of construction Milena Schauer, conversion manager Mark Dieckmann and Olaf Grönefeld from the soil protection authority of the district of Steinfurt were delighted to receive the award.
The jury praised the conversion of the former 31-hectare General Wever barracks into the new residential area “Eschendorfer Aue” for the “elaborately developed, professionally well coordinated and quickly implemented overall concept of structural conversion with special consideration of nature conservation and soil protection with preservation of the old tree population. The far-sighted and all-around successful strategy of land preparation was rated as exemplary.”
In addition, the heavy rainfall precautions and the scenic integration of facilities for species protection and climate adaptation were particularly noteworthy, he said. “Special thanks should be expressed at this point for the technically outstanding and practical support of Olaf Grönefeld (Steinfurt district) during the complex and elaborate land preparation over a total of two years,” Mark Dieckmann emphasizes the good cooperation.
“The projects that share the main prize are practical examples of good practice that are worthy of imitation and can act as a stimulus for municipalities and investors. Firstly, they clearly demonstrate that contaminated sites do not have to be an insurmountable obstacle in construction and investment projects. Secondly, they show how much can be gained by remediating contaminated sites,” says Dr. Hans Richter, who also chaired the jury as deputy chairman of the association.
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The AAV is a unique nationwide competence center for land recycling and contaminated site remediation, in which the state, municipalities and industry work together in partnership. Founded by a state law in 1988, the independent, self-governing public corporation removes contaminated soil and groundwater wherever the polluter cannot be held liable. In this way, AAV protects people and the environment from danger. At the same time, it makes valuable, usually attractively located and well-developed areas available for new uses. In this way, AAV effectively supports the state government in its goal of reducing the consumption of natural and open spaces. The association is usually the project sponsor and provides up to 80% of the funding, in addition to the expertise it has acquired over more than 30 years.
In addition to the statutory members – the state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the municipalities – companies have joined the association on a voluntary basis. They thus support the tasks of the AAV, which are important for society as a whole. At the same time, they benefit from the experience and expertise of the interdisciplinary AAV team, which provides the companies with legal and technical support.