ABSTRACT
In The Netherlands contaminated mud is stored in large scale disposal sites. Because of space limitations, these sites have a depth of order of 50 meters. Natural sediments under anaerobic conditions produce methane gas, which can accumulate in significant amounts in the stored mud layer. It is still uncertain how much gas will be produced on long time scales and also how much gas can escape. Especially at great depth the amount of gas may be large enough to inhibit further consolidation. As a consequence, the storage capacity of the site may be reduced significantly.
