Eternal pollutants in large quantities in the water of Gard: a citizen collective appeals to the State

MP Sala met representatives of the Gardon L’eau santé collective. Midi Libre – D.R.

The Gardon L'eau santé collective requested a meeting with the MP for Gard Michel Sala in order to alert him to the presence of significant quantities of TFA in drinking water in the Saint sector -Theodorit.

"We drink this water, we water our vegetable garden with it, and it contains eternal pollutants. People need to know this and elected officials need to mobilize!" Member of the citizen collective Gardon L’eau santé, Arnaud Gras met this Friday, May 3, the deputy of Gard Michel Sala, accompanied by other representatives of this movement born in Saint-Théodorit and who intends to fight against eternal pollutants in the drinking water of the Gardon.

Concentrations higher than the European standard

The main object of their wrath: the result of analyzes carried out by a laboratory approved by the Ministries of Health and the Environment, revealing a level of trifluoroacetic acid (TFA ) abnormally high, at 19 µg/L. This analysis, financed with the help of a Leetchi prize pool set up by the collective, is not a revelation for Gardon L’eau santé. At the beginning of February, the Générations Futures association raised a worrying PFAS pollution near the Salindres chemical platform in Gard through samples taken in ten locations (7 for surface water including one control and 3 for drinking water) around the Salindres chemical platform, on which a Solvay group factory is located, in "more or less proximity to the industrial discharges and their importance in the local hydrographic network.

Among the lessons given by the analysis results, Générations futures noted that "TFA is found in the drinking water of 2 towns (Boucoiran and Moussac, on the edge of the Gard) at concentrations of 19 µg/L and 18  ;µg/L, i.e. concentrations 38 and 36 times higher than a European standard applicable to all perfluorinated". "We know that the factory discharges its PFAS into a tributary of the Gardon, and what worries us is that due to the increase in population, a new catchment is planned in the same place as one of the two current ones, rather than upstream of the tributary which brings this junk into the roach, sighs Arnaud Gras.

Towards an impact study on populations?

While the National Assembly has just voted, at first reading, a bill aimed at "limiting contamination by polyfluoroalkyl substances and perfluoroalkyls", article 2 aims to impose, "by regulatory means, limit values ​​for discharge into the natural environment of PFAS at all installations classified for environmental protection from January 1, 2024". The opportunity, therefore, for the Saint-Théodorit collective, to draw the attention of MP Sala to this problem of the TFA.

The Domessargues Saint-Théodorit union ensures “to carefully follow the file”

By way of a press release, the Intercommunal Syndicate for Drinking Water Supply (SIAEP) Domessargues Saint-Théodorit, which serves twelve municipalities, recalls that "the water distributed is subject to strict and regular controls (with cycles and rules which are informed to us ;es), carried out by a laboratory approved by the Regional Health Agency. The president, Bernard Clément, adding that "to permanently guarantee securityé quality water, the number of molecules or substances sought has also been considerably increased. over the years". If the union ensures "not to remain insensitive" and pr&ecirc ;te "great attention" à the presence of these TFA, he however emphasizes that none"regulation does not set a threshold concerning these "pollutants", the presence of which is also found everywhere in the hydrosphere. included in the oceans ". However, if for the SIAEP, "s’there were to be an evolution of the standards in the future, these would be of interest ;eacute;eacute;eacute;eacute;s du jour dans les analyses". But, for the moment, "there is no reason to alarm users of the SIAEP of Domessargues and Saint-Théodorit".

"I met the collective this morning, very concerned about what is happening in view of the analyzes carried out on the’ drinking water", relates the elected official, who announces that he intends to request a meeting with the Regional Health Agency (ARS). "We must go further within the framework of the law passed in the Assembly. How are the controls carried out ?", questions the MP. Who wishes to verify that the ARS "takes these TFA into account. And if this is not done, controls should be put in place. I would also like a screening campaign to be carried out on volunteers to see the impregnation of the populations", continues Michel Sala. Who also wants the prefect of Gard to be present at this meeting in order to discuss the discharges from the Solvay factory authorized by decree. To be continued.