Geologists in the districts
District geologists and associated specialists are required to cooperate officially with regional and local authorities and autonomous organs with respect to geological problems (e.g. with municipal and county authorities, the Administration of Protected Landscape Areas, regional branches of the Ministry of Regional Development, and respective sections of the Ministry of Environment).
District geologists suggest and, if need be, assure the geological activities necessary for a given sphere of activity by state authorities and autonomy organs. They offer professional consultations to these bodies.
District geologists and associated specialists express the views of the CGS concerning hazardous geofactors, conflicts of interests, land use planning documents, impacts
of construction activities and technology on the natural environment, pursuant the Act No 100/2001 Coll. (E.I.A.), which also concerns procedures for construction planning and plans for the protection of the environment. All this on the basis of written requirements of state and autonomous authorities.
Remedial activities for old environmental loads
Fundamental political and social changes during the past ten years have launched the process of privatization. Thus the state, as the former owner of extensive assets, has been fully responsible for enormous ecological loads on the geological and groundwater environment. Financial means allocated from the state budget for the remediation of such ecological burdens should be spent appropriately; and thus a thorough knowledge of the geological engineering and hydrogeological conditions of contaminated sites is essential, together with an understanding of the composition and behaviour of various pollutants in the geological and groundwater environment.
CGS specialists could apply their knowledge of regional geology, geochemistry and special disciplines in order towards mastering complicated situations of urbanized complexes and industrial zones.
Their experience in geochemical laboratory techniques allows them to produce professional technical reports concerning a broad spectrum of problems, e.g. risk assessments with their amendments, remediation and sanation projects, and suggestions for proper monitoring methods. Such expert opinions can assist the Foundation of the National Property Organization of the Czech Republic with deciding on the allocation of financial means for the remediation of old ecological liabilities in the privatized assets. As examples of complicated situations involving the reme-diation of old ecological loads, cases from the North Bohemian and Ostrava coal basins can be given, as well as the privatization of large industrial enterprises in Prague, Brno, Ústí nad Labem, and Olomouc agglomerations.
ISO 9001
Since 1999 the Czech Geological Survey has strictly enforced a System of Quality Assurance in accordance with the Standards of ČSN EN ISO 9001. This rule is being applied to the CGS's high priority tasks, which include providing expert opinions and technical reports supervised by the Administration of District Geologists, within the framework of the project CGS 3500 (Expert assessments). District geologists are experts in environmental legislation with an emphasis on the geological environment, and in the methods of geological surveys.
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