Soil Remediation in Flanders and France
On 23 April 2004, Umicore signed a covenant with the local waste authorities (OVAM) and the Regional Minister of the Environment in the Flemish Region of Belgium by which Umicore committed to spend €62 million in the next 15 years to remediate the historical pollution at four sites and some surrounding residential areas. On top of this, a joint fund of €30 million (half of which was contributed by Umicore, the other half by the regional authorities), was created to address remedial works in the surrounding environment over the next ten years. The full costs related to these efforts have already been provisioned in previous years.
“The Umicore Way” states clearly that Umicore “actively partipate(s) in the management and remediation of risks that are the result of historical operations”.
Flanders
The covenant contains a clear agenda, with well identified priority projects and execution schedules for each site. Umicore 
extended the remediation of its zinc plants in Balen and Overpelt to the surrounding residential areas. The Group has completed the excavation works at the site in Overpelt and has made good progress in Balen.
Umicore also completed the preliminary work to remediate the Bankloop brook in Olen, which is scheduled to start in 2007.
In early September, the Hoboken site started the remediation of the adjacent Moretusburg residential area. Some 700 gardens are to be cleaned up by the end of 2007. The top layer of the soil will be excavated and replaced by fresh soil, to be covered by a new lawn. The excavated soil will be used to build an on-site wall to help reduce noise hindrance from the plant. The local population had been extensively briefed ahead of and during the clean-up.
France
But Umicore’s efforts are not limited to its Belgian sites. In France, Umicore reached an agreement in principle with the local authorities to find a sustainable solution for the remediation of the site in Viviez. The Group also initiated the immediate clean-up of Laubarède, a site dedicated to host the future location of the regional emergency centre.
In Auby, not only did Umicore make progress in terms of the on-site remediation, but more importantly, it worked with the local authority to remediate a schoolyard. Another project is ongoing to remediate a public park and some private gardens.
Umicore’s remediation programme will continue to make progress in the coming years.
In 2006, total provisions for the remediation works worldwide amounted to € 135.7 million.