the essential
The installation of a densified log factory at Cap d'Arbon in Estadens does not go down well with many residents. A collective, made up in particular of local residents, is stepping up actions to prevent its establishment.
“No to the factory!” The message is clear when we arrive at Estadens. Several canvases against the installation of a densified log factory in the Cap d'Arbon activity zone were hung at the end of November. Visible from departmental 5B, they are the initiative of several local residents, like Fabien. “A factory here is absolute nonsense! Cap d'Arbon is a meeting place that brings together local residents, precisely because the setting is incredible. But with a factory, that will change everything “
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The factory in question, Bricafeu, is a subsidiary of the Toulouse company Cimaj. It will be dedicated to the production of logs made from sawdust. The building will be large, approximately 2,800 m2, with a flat roof, made of a wooden structure and lined with metal sheets. Two eleven meter high chimneys (measured on the ground) will also be present. One chimney will operate 7 days a week, 24 hours a day, the other will be there as a backup. The wood sawdust will be dried by a biomass boiler. The chimneys, equipped with the latest generation filters, do not pose any environmental dangers, assures the company. “A simple wood stove, which can be found in any home, pollutes more than just one of our chimneys,” reports Alexis Saurine, director of the future factory.
The fear of losing a beautiful living environment
Alexis Saurine was able to put forward this argument during public meetings held on November 15 and 21 in Estadens. Some local residents had just learned of the arrival of this factory via the Panneau Pocket application. On November 5, a message announced on the communication application dedicated to local authorities, the opening of a public consultation concerning the Bricafeu factory, the result of which could impact the operation of the factory, but not its construction. Several worried residents then decided to come together in a collective, Cagire without factory.
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“Make your factory wherever you want but not in Cap d’Arbon!” : the installation of a log factory at the foot of the Pyrenees provokes the anger of the inhabitants
The passage of heavy goods vehicles, weighing 38 tonnes, a maximum of ten round trips per day, is also at the heart of the group's denunciations. In addition to noise pollution, the collective is concerned about the long-term effects of pollution caused by heavy goods vehicles as well as road safety risks. The route of these trucks is, in their opinion, still too vague: “During public meetings, we heard a lot about a single route between Estadens and the motorway. Today, there is possibly talk of going through other routes villages. They are trying to drown the fish,” denounces the group.
While the earthworks have already started, the collective is increasing its actions (demonstration, petitions, publications on social networks). But then, why not have mobilized earlier? For the collective, the public authorities have deliberately communicated poorly or very little on the subject. “For a long time there was talk of creating an artisanal zone in Cap d'Arbon. We found documents in the town hall dated 2015 which describe Cap d'Arbon like this, and not as an activity zone.” The fear of losing in tourist numbers is also felt. “For six jobs created, how many jobs lost?” worries the collective, recalling that there are no less than 15 lodgings within a 12 kilometer radius in Estadens. For its opponents, a future with the Bricafeu factory therefore remains unthinkable.
