09.07.2021 | Residents put the municipalities of Zwijndrecht and Antwerp in default in the context of Oosterweel works
press contact
Mieke Windey – Fundamental Rights
Joeri Thijs – Greenpeace
PRESS RELEASE
'Residents put municipalities of Zwijndrecht and Antwerp in default in the context of Oosterweel works'
Antwerp, 09.07.2021
Residents of Zwijndrecht and Antwerp have put their municipal governments in default, with the support of Greenpeace and Bond Beter Leefmilieu. They believe that too few precautions are being taken in the context of the Oosterweel works. "We are not opposed to Oosterweel, but we do demand that sufficient guarantees are provided for our health. If our municipal authorities do not act to protect our health, then perhaps we should do it ourselves.”
Today, several residents sent a notice of default to the municipal authorities of Zwijndrecht and Antwerp. They did so with the support of, among others, Greenpeace Belgium and Bond Beter Leefmilieu. The residents are concerned about the works that are starting on the Left Bank in the context of the Oosterweel connection. These works are taking place in heavily polluted soil, which may pose risks to local residents.Until it has been independently established that there are no risks to the neighbourhood and that state-of-the-art standards and techniques are being used, we are not reassured“, says Mieke Windey, spokesperson for the citizen collective Grondrecht.
The residents first of all question the standards used in the permits for Oosterweel.”The standards for earthmoving that were used are now outdated. We want certainty that the works can continue safely, based on the latest scientific insights. Moreover, we are not convinced that Lantis is doing everything it can to guarantee the health of local residents. For example, Lantis has indicated that it wants to pack the most contaminated soil (more than 70 micrograms/kg), but that limit of 70 micrograms is based on feasibility, rather than on scientific insights. Soil with 69 micrograms of PFOS – also a very worrying amount – can therefore continue to be used freely on the site. Moreover, there are few guarantees that this packing is a sustainable method, and that the soil will not be released again or that the contamination will seep into the groundwater.”
Secondly, residents are concerned that the construction of the Oosterweel connection will mean that pollution cannot be tackled in the long term.”The result of these works must not be that the pollution becomes the status quo. If we really believe that 3M must clean up our living environment, we cannot lock the pollution under the Oosterweel connection for decades. We therefore ask for certainty that the Oosterweel works are compatible with a comprehensive remediation.”
Finally, residents are also concerned about the transport of the most heavily contaminated soil to the 3M site and the way in which that soil is stored there.”A PFOS dump is being constructed, a stone's throw from residential areas. For the time being, we see insufficient guarantees that the risks to local residents will be taken into account”, says Mieke Windey, spokesperson for the citizen collective Grondrecht. “Although we also see that collecting all contaminated soil at the polluter increases the chance that they will actually start remediating. But then that storage must be done safely, and we must receive guarantees that 3M will actually start the remediation.”
The residents are putting the local authorities in default, pending the report of the Vrancken committee. “This project needs an independent evaluation of the risks for local residents. We therefore regret that the committee is composed only of domestic experts, because they may be more sensitive to the political pressure not to jeopardize the Oosterweel works. Let's say that we are waiting for the depth of their research before we start cheering“, says Mieke Windey, spokesperson for the citizen collective Grondrecht.
Environmental organisations Bond Beter Leefmilieu and Greenpeace also support the notice of default. “We understand the concerns of local residents and are not reassured given the history of the dossier. Environment and health must come first. That is why the Oosterweel works can only resume for us if there are credible and rock-solid guarantees for this.” concludes Joeri Thijs, spokesperson for Greenpeace.
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