2023-11-23 19:34:00
This Thursday in the Environment Committee of the Walloon Parliament, following the “PFAS in distribution water” hearings, the hearing of two officials from the SPW Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment (SPW ARNE) took place.
In terms of form, we can retain the apologies of its general director Bénédicte Heindrichs concerning the lack of communication with the municipal authorities and the population after the discovery of PFAS pollution in the Chièvres region. An act of contrition for not “having taken the measure of the emotion, the questions and the anger“that the situation could arouse.”To do it again, of course we should have communicated. We learned the lesson and directly applied it in the case of Ronquières.“In this very sensitive matter, form matters.
But basically, we were also challenged this Thursday by the words of Benoît Tricot, general inspector of the Department of the Environment and Water, regarding the fact that this PFAS pollution is only “tip of the iceberg” of the question of chemical pollution of our environment in general. Of our drinking water in particular.
Humanity has already released, to varying degrees, 14,000 synthetic substances into the environment and it generates 2,000 more each year, indicated the SPW expert. Many, if not all, find themselves in the water at one time or another. In view of this chemical proliferation, between 2024 and 2028, the “Water Directive” will require public authorities to monitor it… 15 new ones deemed dangerous for health and the environment. And that, potentially, we already drink and breathe every day. Fifteen additional substances to track down is (too) few. And it is colossal in terms of scientific, financial, regulatory and legislative resources to put in place.
In this regard, Bénédicte Heindrichs explained to the deputies that it took more than 5 years for Issep (the Walloon Scientific Institute of Public Service) to develop and validate detection and measurement methods for 20 PFAS in instead of 6 previously. And there are between 5,000 and 10,000…
The heart of the PFAS crisis is there: bodies responsible for health and environmental monitoring which are launched into a lost chase to characterize, standardize and regulate the use of chemicals which are constantly tumbling into our environment.
In this context where chemicals and their effects are poorly or not known, where standards do not exist or exist but have not yet officially come into force, it is not surprising that the “cacophony” and the communication errors denounced (rightly) from the benches of deputies have created excitement and distrust among the population. And if the Walloon deputies focus today on the question of “whose fault is it”, the “The responsibility that awaits them next will surely be more essential. Because, warned the inspector general of the Department of Environment and Water, other substances likely to pose problems for human health and the environment will still arrive.”And it will be necessary to provide a global response, therefore also a political one, to legislate accordingly.“
The committee’s work will continue tomorrow/Friday afternoon with a new hearing of Minister Tellier. Then, the Committed for whom “we cannot stop there”, would still like to hear the PFAS coordinator of the Region as well as representatives of Watergroep and Vivaqua,
This content is not available in this configuration.
Find out here.
This content is not available in this configuration.
Find out here.
This content is not available in this configuration.
Find out here.
1700805331
#PFAS #tap #water #tip #chemical #pollution #iceberg