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In Salindres (), the cruel dilemma between health and employment

It’s a battle being fought on two fronts. In Salindres, a town of 3,600 inhabitants located on the outskirts of Alès (), the Solvay chemical factory is besieged by two distinct types of protests…and largely contradictory.

The first, of an environmental nature, was carried out by associations, resident groups and local elected officials. The cause is trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) manufactured by this factory for the pharmaceutical industry and the production of pesticides. Like all per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), it is a “perennial pollutant”, that is to say a toxic molecule which contaminates the environment and takes centuries to degrade. Recognized as an endocrine disruptor by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), it also presents risks to human health.

But the factory is also the subject of a social struggle. Because on September 24, 2024, Solvay announced the closure of the site in the fall of 2025, resulting in the loss of 64 jobs. Since then, unions have tried to defend their work tools, despite the risks they bring.

Because according to Générations Futures, «  TFA levels measured in factory discharge and in the environment are exceptionally high : we measured concentrations of 7.6 µg/L in factory discharge, 6.5 to 7.5 µg/L in the immediate vicinity and up to 2 µg/L in surface waters downstream and upstream of the site »explains François Veillerette, spokesperson for the association.

Drinking water is unfortunately not spared, including in two neighboring municipalities, with TFA concentrations of 19 µg/L and 18 µg/L, i.e. « 36 et 38 times higher than European standards ».

The association filed a complaint against X and contacted the National Agency for Health Safety, Food, Environment and Labor (ANSES) « so that the dangerousness of TFA is recognized, as a “relevant metabolite”, that its presence is sought throughout and that a health value is defined »specifies François Veillerette. The immediate objective being the decontamination of the site and its surroundings, according to the “polluter pays” principle.

Frontline staff

Solvay staff are on the front line of these contaminations. « The employer denies any exposure of employees, but the entire atmosphere in the workshop is acidic, because there are leaks everywhere, the product is corrosive and the workshop is dilapidated. TFA is known to impact the liver, kidneys, and reproduction, and affected people have many problems in these areas. »alerts Damien Olry, CGT union delegate to the central Social and Economic Committee (CSE) of the Solvay group in France.

“We asked for blood tests […] for the workers most concerned, in vain. Management wants them to return to work,” declares the CGT unionist

The expertise for serious risks, launched in the spring at the request of the CSE, would have shown « failures of the employer in terms of prevention of professional risks and maintenance of equipment »he also assures. He says he is still waiting for individual employee exposure sheets to the products used – a regulatory obligation – which management has not provided. « We requested blood tests and biomonitoring for the workers most affected, to no avail. Management wants them to return to work, but there is no question of them exposing themselves again »declares the unionist.

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On the second front, that of employment, the battle is no less tough. Despite two weeks of strike at the Salindres site in October, the group still plans to close the manufacturing workshops, maintenance and support functions. This decision, taken officially for economic reasons, would result in the elimination of 64 jobs.

But according to the CSE expert's report, the economic motive has not been demonstrated: despite recent Chinese competition, the TFA produced by the Gard factory is still in high demand by the growing European and American markets.

Bad excuse?

The Solvay group, for its part, highlights the poor financial health of the site, whose losses are estimated between 5 and 10 million euros over the past year and a half. But for the unions, these poor results weigh very little compared to the very comfortable profits that the group makes each year. On its internal website, the group itself boasts to potential investors « an attractive dividend »ensuring that « ces 30 recent years, the dividend […] only increased ».

« On paper, Solvay wants to withdraw for economic reasons. Would this be a bad excuse ? », asks Jean-Louis Peyren. The federal secretary of the CGT chemistry federation suspects the group of « not wanting to pay a cent to clean up the site ».

Revelations on the dangerousness of eternal pollutants follow one another, suggesting a health scandal well beyond Salindres

Locally, we fear a domino effect. There are long-term concerns about the sustainability of the Salindres chemical platform. It employs 28 Solvay employees, responsible for the logistics of the site which includes, in addition to Solvay, another company (Axens). Beyond that, the loss of jobs will indirectly weigh on the entire employment area of ​​Alès.

Elsewhere in France, other sites are also in the eye of the storm. The most infamous is that of the Arkéma group, in Pierre-Bénite, south of . The Générations Futures association has also found local allies there to protest against the massive pollution of this area.

The fight is less delicate than in Salindres on the economic side, because the employment area of ​​the Lyon metropolis is richer in positions, particularly in chemistry. But the environmental question is just as significant: revelations about the dangerousness of these eternal pollutants have followed one another in recent weeks, suggesting a vast health scandal well beyond Salindres and Pierre-Bénite.

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