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“Eko Osta'' has signed a contract with the Liepaja Special Economic Zone Authority to carry out remediation works and remove historically contaminated sediments in the Karosta Canal of the Port of Liepaja. A remediation programme has already been drawn up and agreed with the competent authority as part of the contract, and the actual remediation work will be carried out between 1 April 2023 and 30 November 2023. The remediation work is planned to remove about 164 thousand m³ of contaminated sediments. The total contract amount is EUR 3 497 260. The project will reduce the risk of exposure to historical pollution for the residents of Liepaja, as well as significantly improve the ecological status of the sea and the quality of the surrounding environment.

The remediation works are carried out within the framework of the project ''Historically Contaminated Site of the Port of Liepaja, Karosta Canal Remediation Works - Phase II'' implemented by the Liepaja Special Economic Zone Authority. The aim is to reduce the negative impact of the historically contaminated sediments of the Karosta Canal on the environment, human health and the ecological status of the Baltic Sea. The project is funded

under the Norwegian Financial Mechanism''s Climate Change Mitigation, Adaptation and Environment Programme 2014-2021.

The clean-up of the Karosta Canal in the Port of Liepaja is a unique project at the European level, therefore the results of the project should be in line with the best practice in the implementation of environmental protection projects. One of the project partners - the Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA) - is participating in the project with the aim to demonstrate examples of similar remediation works in Norway and to provide knowledge to Latvian specialists, who will be responsible for maintaining the remediation objectives in the future.

This is a continuation of previous activities to clean up the Karosta Canal in the Port of Liepaja. With the EU Cohesion Fund funding, the project ''Historically Contaminated Site of the Port of Liepaja, Karosta Canal Remediation Works - Phase I'' was implemented until 2015, within the framework of which a large amount of technogenic pollution (scrap metal, concrete masses, wood, etc.) was removed from the 78 ha area of the canal and disposed of, likewise, in the most contaminated section, ~50 000m³ of contaminated sediments were removed and deposited in a specially equipped disposal site at the eastern end of the Karosta Canal, with the direct participation of Eko Osta.

Working together for a green Europe!

The project is funded under the Norwegian Financial Mechanism's Climate Change Mitigation, Adaptation and Environment Programme 2014-2021.

The total cost of the project is EUR 5 117 647.05, of which EUR 4 350 000.00 is financed by the Norwegian Financial Mechanism.

Photo source: Liepajas SEZ

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