Recognition as an expert for soil protection and contaminated sites according to § 18 of the Federal Soil Protection Act

If you wish to be recognized as an expert on soil protection issues, you must submit a corresponding application.

The Act on the Protection against Harmful Soil Changes and on the Remediation of Contaminated Sites provides for the involvement of experts in several places. To be recognized as an expert in the field of soil protection, you must meet the following requirements:

1. prove required expertise (qualified education, practical experience, further education)

2. availability of technical equipment (does not have to be owned, access can be proven by concluded contracts)

3. reliability and your personal integrity (evidence and declarations of personal, economic, organizational independence)

Recognized experts or surveyors are recognized and active in six different subject areas:

1. areal and site survey/historical investigation

2. risk assessment for the impact pathway soil-water

3. risk assessment for the impact pathway soil-plant, precautionary measures for the limitation of substance inputs into the soil and during the application and introduction of materials

4. hazard assessment for the impact pathway soil-human 5. remediation

6. hazard identification, assessment and prevention of harmful soil changes due to soil erosion by water

If the recognition authority has checked all prerequisites and your professional qualification/expertise has been determined, the recognition and announcement will be made by notice and with a certificate of recognition.

The contact details of the recognized and announced experts are published in uniform directories. If you already have a public appointment in accordance with the Trade, Commerce and Industry Regulation Act (Gewerbeordnung) in the requested field of expertise and have completed suitable further training, you also provide proof of the required expertise for recognition in accordance with the Federal Soil Protection Act (Bundesbodenschutzgesetz) and investigation bodies for soil protection and contaminated sites. This means that there are a number of experts who, in addition to their public appointment in accordance with the Trade, Commerce and Industry Regulation Act (Gewerbeordnung), are also recognized in accordance with the Federal Soil Protection Act (Bundesbodenschutzgesetz). As experts according to the Federal Soil Protection Act, experts are also recognized whose expertise, reliability and technical equipment have been checked in another federal state according to comparable requirements. A renewed examination is not required.

Applications for admission as an expert can be submitted to the locally competent Chamber of Industry and Commerce or the Chamber of Engineers of the State of Hesse.
 

• Forms available: Yes
• Written form required: No
• Informal application possible: No
• Personal appearance required: Yes

In order to be recognized as an expert in the field of soil protection, you must prove that you

• have the required comprehensive expertise,
• have the necessary technical equipment and the required liability insurance for your expert activities, and
• prove your personal reliability.

• Administrative court action
• Objection

You can submit the application in writing or electronically.

Once you have submitted the application and all documents are complete, the competent body will check whether all requirements for recognition as an expert have been met.

You will then receive a fee notice. The fees are generally due when the application is submitted.

Furthermore, the recognition authorities will check your reliability as well as your technical equipment and your liability insurance. Your professional suitability is checked by committees or expert panels for soil protection and contaminated sites. Here, too, you must bear the costs. The review procedure usually consists of an evaluation of your submitted expert reports as well as a written paper and a technical discussion. You will generally be notified of the result of the review in writing. If you wish, the decision can be explained in an interview. If the recognition authority has checked all requirements and your professional qualification/expertise has been determined, the recognition and announcement will be made by notice and you will receive a certificate. Your recognition will be published in the nationwide register of experts and also announced in the publication organ of the recognition authority.

Is based on the respective administrative fee regulations of the state or on the fee statutes of the bodies responsible under state law.

There are no clues or specifics.

Information on contact persons, chambers and appointment requirements can be found here:
Page of the list of experts

Further information on country-specific responsibilities and special regulations can be found here: Page of the research system Measuring bodies and experts