A training course on Identification and assessment of remediation measures for significant environmental damage and preparation of a remediation plan took place on 4-8 July 2022 in the Environmental Information and Education Center, Conference Centre, Tbilisi, Georgia.
Objectives, expected outputs and outcomes
The main objectives of the practical training on “Identification and assessment of remediation measures for significant environmental damage and preparation of a remediation plan” were:
- to raise awareness about the Environmental Liability Directive (ELD) and its application in European Union countries, including success factors and possible challenges;
- to improve the ability to identify, characterise and assess pollution of soil and groundwater;
- to introduce different remediation technologies for soil and groundwater.
Participants
The course was delivered by two professionals of the Italian National Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA). It was primarily intended for technical experts of relevant departments of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia (MEPA) as well as policy makers of the MEPA and other environmental regulatory authorities. It could also be of interest for stakeholders from academia, other governmental authorities, environmental NGOs, site owners, private consulting agencies and various other environmental professionals.
Background
Georgia adopted a Law on Environmental Liability in 2021, in accordance with the provisions of its Association Agreement with the European Union. This law aims to establish monetary liability of polluters for environmental damage they cause, as well as a requirement for them to remediate such damage. The law includes provisions on assessing significant environmental damage. Polluting entities will be required to produce remediation plans, the implementation of which will be overseen by the Department of Environmental Supervision (DES) of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture (MEPA). In addition, the law has provisions for the creation of a dedicated fund that will spend collected payments on environmental remediation measures. Finally, the law sets out the obligation of operators with dangerous activities to acquire financial security. The government of Georgia is now in the process of developing bylaws and a damage assessment methodology. Many concepts of the new law are new to policy makers and practitioners in the country, and awareness of the Law on Environmental Liability could be increased.