The decontamination project at the former Enedis site in La Rochelle resumed this Saturday, December 21 with “reinforced measures”. Although the authorities assure that everything is in place for the safety of local residents, they, as well as the parents of students at the school which closed following the appearance of numerous symptoms, remain worried and angry.
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In front of the construction site of the former Enedis site in the heart of La Rochelle, Mayor Jean-François Fountaine admits: “There were malfunctions.“Last November, when the destruction project had begun a few months earlier, toxic fumes were felt in the area around rue Marcel Paul, in the city center of La Rochelle. Located right next door, the Fénelon school group had even closed for a few days in November, following manifestations of irritation, migraines and vomiting among students.
After being shut down, the decontamination project at the former Gaz de France factory, which is to be transformed into a real estate project, resumed this Saturday, December 21. “This involves removing concrete reinforcing bars that were in the premises' infrastructure. They are being removed to be taken to a decontamination site“, explains Jean-François Fountaine, ensuring that the authorities have taken the necessary measures to protect the population. But on the side of local residents, the anger is still there. The Zero Toxic collective is demanding that much greater protection measures be taken. and that the construction project be stopped.
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“We must learn lessons from what happened, so that it does not happen again and the end of the project is truly impeccable.“, Jean-François Fountaine is reassuring. In a public meeting on December 9, in the presence of the prefect of Charente-Maritime and the company in charge of the site, a mea-culpa was made. Because the odors and Toxic fumes caused numerous symptoms among the children of the Fénelon school group, right next door, and among local residents.
These are the toxic metal rods that were removed from the site this Saturday, December 21 in order to be transported to a decontamination center.
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© France Télévisions
The event aroused anger and incomprehension among local residents and parents of students. The latter formed a collective to demand explanations and better protection: Zero Toxic. According to Julie, a member of the collective, the authorities covered up the pollution of the site. Although certain measures have been taken, such as covering the most polluting elements, this remains insufficient for the Zero Toxic collective: “There is open land that continues to emanate, we don't know exactly what, because only two pollutants were measured and there are probably others, otherwise the symptoms would have stopped.“
On November 16, the Charente-Maritime prefecture declared a complete shutdown of the construction site in order to take the necessary measures. During the public meeting of December 9, also announcing the resumption of the construction site, Brice Blondel, the prefect of Charente-Maritime indicated that reinforced measures on air quality, dust analyzes and protection devices would be taken. “There will be misting so that dust does not wander into the air.he explains. But also, an extractor hood with an activated carbon filter to ensure that, in the absence of zero nuisance, we guarantee no impact on health and maximum comfort.”
Measures which do not necessarily satisfy the Zero Toxic collective which asks rather than the site “be placed under a full protective dome as should have been done since August“.
We know that the land will remain polluted, it is a very partial decontamination.
JulieMember of the Zero Toxic collective
“It's very windy in La Rochelle, I doubt that misters will be enough“, raises Julie, member of Zéro Toxic. Having come to observe the resumption of the construction site himself on Saturday December 21 to remove the polluting metal rods using the misters, the mayor of La Rochelle, indicates that all the protective measures have been taken. The iron rods were taken to a decontamination site. Now the prefecture must concentrate on identifying the pollutants remaining on the site.Many elements have already been treated, but the prefecture will take a precise photo of the pollution for the end of the project.“, indicates Jean-François Fountaine.
According to the mayor of La Rochelle, 90% of the work has already been completed, but he reaffirms that the authorities wish to put in place “exemplary conditions“For its part, while the school has reopened, the Zero Toxic collective remains worried and stands firm on its positions.”We know that the land will remain polluted, it is a very partial decontamination, perhaps 5% of the total pollution.Julie advances. It seems impossible to us to build in these conditions and even less to live there!“
