Järfälla retaining Wall Pays/Territoire Suède Type de cour Nationale - cour supérieure Date Jan 12, 2012 Source UNEP, InforMEA Nom du tribunal Mark- och miljööverdomstolen Siège de la cour Stockholm Numéro de référence M4344-10 Langue Suédois Sujet Terre et sols, Déchets et substances dangereuses Résumé An individual had built a retaining wall of sleepers treated with creosote. A neighbour complained to the County Administrative Board, which ordered the property owner to demolish the retaining wall. The case was then appealed up to the Land and Environment Court of Appeal.Before the Land and Environment Court of Appeal, the question was whether or not the Reach Directive, which prohibits the use of creosote for treatment of wood and selling wood treated with creosote, is applicable to already existing structures. The Land and Environment Court of Appeal concluded that it was not the purpose of the Reach Directive to order the demolition of already existing structures using wood treated with creosote.Moreover, the Land and Environment Court of Appeal considered whether the provisions in chapter 2 of the Environmental Code contained any provisions supporting the order. The Court concluded that the retaining wall had given rise to a limited increase in the amount of PAHs (Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon) in the ground. The amounts were not high in comparison to the normal levels in cities and it could not be proved that the increase was caused by the retaining wall. Thus, the Land and Environment Court of Appeal did not find it reasonable to order the property owner to demolish the retaining wall. Texte intégral M4344-10.pdf