Volgermeerpolder
2022
All images retreived from Het Stadsarchief Amsterdam
The visible surface of a landscape is good at hiding its underlying secrets. Volgermeerpolder, a nature reserve just above Amsterdam and the most polluted place in the Netherland, is a good example of this.
Until 1980 de Volgermeerpolder was heavily polluted with household waste and illegally dumped chemical waste, including the very toxic compound dioxin. From then on the area has been under construction and the municipality decided to start removing the waste. The pollution was so severe that due to financial reasons the municipality decide to leave the polluted soil where it was. It was covered with HDP foil and new soil, which is supposed to form peat to encapsulate the underlying soil. Since 2011 the area is open to the public again and is used to recreate, bike, walk your dog, and serve as a habitat for birds, fish, rare plant species, and insects.
The images display the of act of removing the chemically polluted soil, working on the garbage dumb and harvesting peat.