A change of ownership was planned for an industrial site in the canton of Aargau. In this context, the question arose as to whether pollutants might be present in the soil. The site was neither listed in the register of contaminated sites (KbS) nor in the test perimeter for excavated soil. Ecosens AG carried out a historical check to obtain an overview of the industrial use of the site over the last 100 years. A number of specific suspicious facts were identified that could have led to contamination of the soil: underground tank installations, a company filling station, possible use of chemicals in a building wing, artificial fillings. Based on these suspicions, a specific technical investigation was planned.
Subsequently, solid samples were taken by means of percussion coring and chemically analyzed. As a result, many suspicions could be refuted, but individual contaminations were identified. Based on the results, an estimate was made of the additional costs that could be incurred as a result of contaminated soil and excavated material in the course of a construction project. The documentation together with the cost estimate formed a good basis for the negotiations as part of the change of ownership.
