This paper aims to explore the risk assessment performed by the actors involved in two land environmental remediation processes, as well as the social adaptation of such risks. The pit lake situated in the municipality of As Pontes of García Rodríguez in the Autonomous Community of Galicia (Spain) and the pit lakes located in the state of Saxony south of the city of Leipzig (Germany). The comparison between one and another case let distinguish two very different strategies of social adaptation of risk and governance. One characterizes by a greater social openness and democratization of the decision making. The other one represents a more closed and centralized strategy. The last one seems to be translated into a lower level of social acceptance among locals, judging by the opinion survey consulted. Results are enriching in terms of new hypothesis to be tested in the future.