Lactalis in the viewfinder France nature environment. The association is launching a “monitoring and legal action campaign” against the milk giant and its discharge into rivers. In the Jura, the Lons-le-Saunier cheese factory will have to pay a fine of 30,000 euros for late compliance.
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This Thursday, November 21, France Inter learns that France Nature Environnement (FNE) is launching a “surveillance and legal action campaign” against Lactalis and its discharges into rivers. This is not the first time that the dairy giant has been in the spotlight. It had already been singled out for water pollution. In question, the discharge of milk and of cheese in rivers, leading to the death of fish that live in these waterways.
In 2021, in a report from the Ministry of Ecological Transition, five Lactalis sites were placed on increased vigilance due to non-compliance or recurring incidents. Among these sites, the cheese factory belonging to Lactalis in the Jura.
In a press release published on November 22, Lactalis assures that “the required environmental rehabilitation work has all been carried out, except on one site, the Société Fromagère de Lons-le-Saunier (SFL), where the work is being finalized”. This late compliance is explained, by Lactalis, by “deadlines imposed that were technically impossible to meet” and had informed the authorities. However, the dairy giant assures that “the Lons cheese company is making every effort and making all the necessary investments to respond as quickly as possible to their requests”.
A late compliance that the association denounces and the reason why the Lons-le-Saunier cheese factory will have to pay a fine of 30,000 euros. However, for Anne Roques, the lawyer of the France nature environment association, this fine arrives too late and the amount is “not at all dissuasive for Lactalis”.
This Lactalis subsidiary has been discharging wastewater into the environment for seven years. We see that the State is far too permissive, that it does not dare to take sanctions when it is Lactalis or other large industries.
Anne Roques, lawyer for the France nature environment association
France Nature Environnement (FNE) is launching a “monitoring and legal action campaign” against Lactalis and its discharge into rivers.
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© JOSSELIN CLAIR / MAXPPP
In its press release, Lactalis ensures that it is “fully aware of its environmental responsibility” et “works to continually improve industrial risks“. This involves, for example, the modernization of its wastewater treatment systems, representing an investment of around 90 million euros since 2020 in France. Despite this, France Nature Environnement has identified new pollution. The association has also obtained the opening of a criminal investigation, regretting however that the courts are not more often seized of this pollution.
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