Bolloré Logistics fire near Rouen: were the stored batteries really waste?

Before the administrative court of Rouen, the company Bolloré Logistics and its subsidiary Blue Solutions challenged, via a suspended interim order, the legality of the formal notice orders of October 7, 2024 taken by the prefecture of Seine-Maritime against them. These relate to the fire of January 16, 2023 which destroyed 12,000 lithium batteries in a storage building rented by Bolloré Logistics in Grand-Couronne (as well as 70,000 tires in a neighboring cell).

3.2 million euros for waste removal

In these decrees, the prefecture considers that the burned batteries were considered waste, and that as such, they should not have been stored in the warehouse, owned by SAS Highway France Logistics, which did not did not have permission. These formal notices aim to make Blue Solutions and Bolloré Logistics contribute to the costs of site decontamination. A cost estimated according to Mr. Christophe Rélu, one of Bolloré Logistics' lawyers, at 3.2 million euros for the removal of waste and between 150,000 and 200,000 euros per month for the operating costs of the hydraulic barrier which, moreover, was recently dismantled “It was removed because Valgo (company involved in depollution) was no longer paid »indicates the representative of Dreal (Regional Directorate of Environment, Planning and Housing).

Batteries stored for four years

Before the Rouen administrative court, lawyers for the two companies tried to demonstrate that the burned batteries were not waste. “Bolloré Logistics is a company whose activity is to provide logistics. Its role is to store goods in transit. She never intended to hold waste”recalled Me Pauline Leddet Troadec. “These are customer return batteries which are subject to prior examination. Those stored in Grand-Couronne were still functional, there was a desire to reuse them as spare parts”supports Me David Deharbe, lawyer for Blue Solutions. The latter claiming that 97.5% of them still had a lifespan of 1,000 cycles. “These batteries were considered waste, they required workdefended the Dreal representative, doubting the reuse of these batteries. Some had been stored for four years at the time of the fire. »

As for the environmental impact and soil pollution linked to the infiltration of lithium during the fire, Me Pauline Leddet Troadec – affirming that “lithium is not a problematic element for health” – considered that the fault lies with the owner of the building Highway France Logistics. According to her, “the building was not up to standard and the presence of lithium (in the waters) is due to a lack of waterproofing of the concrete slab of the warehouse ». « The warehouse was compliant before the fireretorted the Dreal representative. The intense heat melted everything in cell 1. The slab was pierced by the fire. »

The decision of the administrative court regarding the suspension of the two orders will not be known immediately. At the end of the hearing, the judge decided to postpone the closure of the investigation until November 29, until the various parties could provide additional documents.