World Bank data (Plecher H., 2020) reveal that, currently, 61.2% of global economic activity is supported by the service sector, with 27.8% remaining for the industrial sector. Although industries are no longer at the center of economic activity, the wealth of nations was built upon the exploitation of natural resources and the development of potentially polluting activities for many years – since 1760, the date marking the beginning of the industrial revolution. On another side of history, concern for the preservation and protection of these natural resources began to manifest significantly among global leaders in the 1970s, starting with the Stockholm Conference.Given this narrative, the stage is set: if, on one hand, there are over 200 years of potentially polluting activities, on the other, only the last 50 years have been marked by concern for the longevity and subsistence of natural resources.This historical imbalance has led to a series of environmental consequences and created the scenario for the existence of so-called "megasites": the term, in English, means "large areas," and there is still no regulatory or technical-scientific consensus regarding its concept. For the European Union (EU), megasites are large areas (5-500 km2), with multiple sources of contamination stemming from industrial, military, or mining activities, which generate significant impacts on various environmental matrices, such as groundwater, surface water, soil, and air. Furthermore, this concept also considers the time factor; according to the EU, the rehabilitation of a megasite is often technically and economically impossible in less than 25 years (WELCOME, 2004). For the US environmental agency (United States Environmental Protection Agency – US EPA), the parameters used to define the concept are exclusively monetary: megasites are contaminated areas where the total cost of investigation and remediation is equal to or greater than 50 million dollars (USEPA, 2006).For regulatory agencies, developers, and technical professionals involved in managing a megasite, the major challenge lies in the inherent complexity of this type of area: there can be various receptors exposed to risk, and there is often no clarity on which sources contribute to the contamination. Due to these uncertainties, doubts remain about the correct course of action to remediate the site while minimizing or eliminating risks to society and the environment. Furthermore, the challenge expands when conventional measures are adopted for managing these areas: timelines are excessively long, costs are exorbitant, and effectiveness is questionable.This scenario prompted the European Union to create the WELCOME project in 2002 (Water, Environment, Landscape Management at Contaminated Megasites), focused on proposing an integrated management strategy (IMS) for megasites. This strategy was pioneered at the Port of Rotterdam, Netherlands, where over 3,000 contaminated areas and 15,000 sources of contamination were identified. The application of the IMS at the Port of Rotterdam allowed for the combined analysis of different scenarios, leading to the selection of a solution capable of optimizing risk management at the lowest possible cost. The measures adopted were in full compliance with European legislation, the obligations of each company involved, environmental protection, and technological innovation.And in Brazil, do megasites exist? Although no official data is available regarding this type of area, many industrial parks installed in the country have the potential to be classified as megasites, such as Jurubatuba in São Paulo and Baixada Fluminense in Rio de Janeiro. NewFields Brazil, which bases its operations on technological innovations and robust technical expertise, was responsible for the pioneering implementation pioneering of the integrated management strategy (IMS) at the country's largest steel complex.Given the cutting-edge nature of the topic, NewFields developed a site-specific methodology based on various techniques, including geostatistics, probability theory, and multi-criteria decision analysis. By combining numerous input parameters, a Safety Zone was established with high spatial precision to prioritize management actions aimed at protecting sensitive receptors.Based on this experience, NewFields validated the adaptation of the WELCOME strategy for national territory, which can be applied to numerous Brazilian megasites, with the potential for prioritizing actions and ensuring effectiveness in managing and closing extensive and highly complex areas.To learn more about NewFields' experience in this and other projects, keep an eye on our LinkedIn or sign up to receive our updates.
