Randers Municipality reinforces at Nordic Waste in Ølst to prevent flooding
Randers Municipality has decided to deploy extra manpower at Nordic Waste in Ølst, where large amounts of rain are expected to fall on Saturday. Municipal Director Jesper Kaas Schmidt states that the extra manpower is tasked with keeping the rainwater away from the nearby Alling Stream.
“We are already in the midst of a major operation in the area during the summer holidays. The project includes, among other things, establishing a new stream and constructing rainwater basins. The significant amount of rain that is forecasted poses a considerable challenge,” says Jesper Kaas Schmidt.
The municipality’s information indicates that up to 70 millimeters of rain could fall locally in Ølst, posing a risk of contamination to the Alling Stream if the water is not held back. The rainwater could become contaminated upon contact with the polluted soil.
“We are doing everything to ensure that we have a robust emergency response to handle the situation. While we cannot predict the exact amount of rain, we can at least plan and deploy the right manpower,” explains the municipal director.
The specific work involves monitoring the rainwater basins to prevent overflows. If the situation requires it, water will also be transported away by trucks. An emergency response is ready to deploy more trucks if necessary.
The municipality’s work at Nordic Waste has been ongoing since December 2023 when the company, which previously handled the remediation of contaminated soil, abandoned control of an extensive landslide. The tasks were then handed over to the municipality, which also reported the company to the police. This case has led to a series of investigations into the parties involved.
The Attorney General has been assigned to investigate whether other companies besides Nordic Waste can be held financially responsible. At the same time, the government is investigating whether Randers Municipality has fulfilled its regulatory responsibility.
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