Geneva wants to establish a complete cantonal register of PFAS pollutants

Geneva wants to establish a complete cantonal PFAS register, a first in Switzerland. Objective: clean up sites heavily contaminated by these so-called eternal pollutants, explained State Councilor Antonio Hodgers, in charge of the Territorial Department (archives).

Photo: KEYSTONE/MARTIAL TREZZINI

Geneva wants to establish a complete cantonal PFAS register, a first in Switzerland. Objective: clean up sites heavily contaminated by these so-called eternal pollutants by making the polluters pay the bill, if possible.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are everywhere in everyday products and very difficult to degrade, State Councilor Antonio Hodgers, in charge of the Territorial Department (DT), reminded the media on Wednesday. The canton wants to obtain a precise inventory of the extent and nature of contaminants through a systematic analysis of its soil.

To do this, the government adopted a bill opening an investment credit of 4.145 million francs. He asks the Grand Council to be able to add PFAS to the current register of polluted sites, in order to clean up those which are the most contaminated. ‘PFAS are a problem for water. The good news for Geneva is that the water remains drinkable,’ noted Mr. Hodgers.

/ATS