Overview and Guidance

Releases from contaminated sites

In accordance with Article 6 of the Stockholm Convention, Parties are required to endeavor to develop appropriate strategies for identifying sites contaminated by chemicals listed in Annex A, B or C and, if remediation of those sites is undertaken, it shall be performed in an environmentally sound manner.

Guidance

Guidance on best available techniques and best environmental practices for the management of sites contaminated with persistent organic pollutants

The guidance on best available techniques (BAT) and best environmental practices (BEP) for the management of sites contaminated with persistent organic pollutants (POPs) has been developed by experts on BAT and BEP under the Stockholm Convention, taking into account comments received from Parties, observers, and other relevant experts.

Scope

This guidance has been developed to guide Parties in the identification, assessment, management, and remediation of POPs contaminated sites, and in their actions to minimize and prevent releases of POPs from contaminated sites. It provides an updated, evidence-based framework to support the identification and prioritization of sites posing the highest risk to human health and the environment, including risks to biodiversity and ecosystems.

This guidance also provides information to protect human health in the process of assessment and remediation of sites. In addition, it promotes sustainable, risk-based decision-making within a precautionary framework and supports environmentally sound management practices under the Stockholm Convention.

Main target audience

Staff responsible for developing action plans for the identification, assessment, management, and remediation of POPs contaminated sites and technical staff involved in their implementation.

Guidance on best available techniques and best environmental practices for the management of sites contaminated with persistent organic pollutants (February 2025)

Guidance Publication Cover

Web based and a PDF publication of the guidance on best available techniques and best environmental practices for the management of sites contaminated with persistent organic pollutants

The guidance on best available techniques and best environmental practices for the management of sites contaminated with persistent organic pollutants, welcomed by Parties at the twelfth meeting of the Conference of the Parties, is now available in an interactive web version and a fully formatted, visually enriched publication.

The web version and the publication was prepared with funding from the European Union.

Click here to view comments from Parties, observers and other relevant experts on previous versions of the guidance on best available techniques and best environmental practices for the management of sites contaminated with persistent organic pollutants.