The administrative court of Strasbourg has just requested the suspension of work to bury toxic waste in Alsace.
On May 25, the Administrative Court of Strasbourg ordered the suspension of the first sealing works on the StocaMine site, in Wittelsheim (Haut-Rhin). More than 42,000 tons of toxic industrial waste, some of which contains asbestos, arsenic or mercury, are buried in the galleries of this former state-owned potash mine, 550 meters deep.
Read alsoGovernment deadlocked over StocaMine project
Impermeable concrete plugs had to be manufactured on site to close certain galleries. But the court found that“there is (was) a serious doubt as to the legality of the decision to allow the work to continue, in particular the backfilling of block 15 and the completion of certain containment barriers of the mine galleries.” The final backfilling of block 15, which caught fire in 2002, after an unintentional two-month fire, was supposed to start in June. But only one «confinement reversible” had been authorized by the prefect of Haut-Rhin in January.
Avoid groundwater pollution
This judgment is…
This article is for subscribers only. You have 69% left to discover.
Pushing back the limits of science is also freedom.
Keep reading your article for €0.99 for the first month
Already subscribed? Login