If the weather permits, the cleanup of environmental pollution that occurred decades ago in the park of the former Charlottenthal manor along Mustamäe tee will start in April. The cleanup plan is expected to be completed by mid-March, with the works lasting until June of the following year at the latest.

Deputy Mayor Joosep Vimm noted that oil contamination always poses a serious threat to the environment, and it's crucial that identified sources of pollution are eliminated as soon as possible. “During the Soviet era and the early 1990s, there was a far more careless attitude towards the environment than today. Unfortunately, it’s likely that there are more such places in Tallinn where the ground may conceal pollution from past times. The largest similar case in recent years in the city is known to have originated from the Stroomi beach area. Hopefully, these are few, but it's essential to be particularly vigilant in former industrial areas,” Vimm explained.

In the western part of the property located at Mustamäe tee 20 in the Kristiine district, there is a layer of fill soil about half a meter thick and approximately 350 square meters in area, contaminated with oil products.

Jaanus Riibe, the Kristiine district governor, mentioned that according to the study, the pollution dates back to when a bridge crane and fuel tanks were located near the property, which might have been partly situated near the detected pollution site. “Kristiine is a green district, so we prioritize the maintenance of parks and the preservation of greenery. Cleaning the contaminated soil of the former manor park is of great importance to us. We take this issue very seriously and will monitor the progress of the work,” added Riibe.

There are several options for cleaning the property's soil, but based on the study's recommendations, soil and groundwater remediation is planned to be conducted in situ, or on-site treatment, which is more sustainable in terms of carbon footprint and cost compared to other methods, such as soil excavation and replacement.

On-site remediation of the contaminated soil and groundwater will help achieve the targets set in Tallinn's Waste Management Plan 2022-2026, one of the main goals of which is the prevention and reduction of waste generation.

The identified environmental pollution will be eliminated under the leadership of the Tallinn Strategic Management Office's Circular Economy Department. The necessary remediation plan will be prepared, and the pollution will be eliminated by Maves OÜ and Ekogrid OY, with Keskkonnaprojekt OÜ performing owner supervision.

The preparation of the remediation plan and the pollution elimination will cost a total of 106,000 euros. The work will be financed by the budget of the City of Tallinn and the funds from the Environmental Investment Centre's environmental program.