Clean-up delays at polluted beach await permits

The removal of about 125,000 tons of contaminated soil from Himmark Strand in Southern Jutland, Denmark, will be delayed until at least 2025 due to pending environmental permits. The region of Southern Denmark, which is responsible for the clean-up, had intended to put the project out to tender in August, but complications have arisen. Poul Erik Jensen, chairman of the regional environmental committee, expresses urgency to begin remediation of the site, which was contaminated by Danfoss in the 1950s and 1960s through chemical waste depositing and industrial waste burning. Previous postponements occurred in November when cleanup costs doubled to approximately 350 million Danish kroner. A partnership agreement involving the region, Sønderborg Municipality, and Danfoss was forged in 2021. While it’s challenging to estimate a precise start date, hopes are set for late 2025 or early 2026. The cleanup will involve constructing sea barriers and excavating the polluted soil from the beach and the seabed.