2023-11-17 20:20:14
While for several weeks, the organizing committee for the Paris 2024 Games (Cojo) has had to deal with the anger of environmental associations who fear that the installation of a new judges’ tower would damage the lagoon, discussions have begun with the Polynesian government (project owner) and the High Commission (State representative on site) in order to study “all possible improvement scenarios for the project”.
A solution would have been found, consisting of making modifications to the new judges’ tower – currently under construction to the tune of €4.4 million, the modifications will not bring additional expenses, according to Paris 2024 -, so as not to having to dig too deep to install it. The construction of a new tower was, according to Paris 2024, made essential because the wooden one, which was used during the Surfing World Cup circuit in Teahupoo, was not approved.
This Friday evening, Paris 2024 detailed the new system which allows a “reduction in the surface area of the new tower by 50m², in order to return to the size of the old wooden tower (150m²); a reduction in the weight of the new tower (9 tonnes compared to 14 tonnes initially planned), to return to the weight of the old wooden tower and reduce the load on the foundations; a reduction in the number of people and equipment on the tower during the Games to coincide with the number of people present for the World Surf League (25 to 30 people compared to 40 in the initial project); the adoption of a temporary solution for the supply of fiber and electricity, by providing for the dismantling of the sublagunal cable after the Games (the initial route of this cable was precisely studied to run between the coral massifs, without generating impact); the removal of the connection to drinking water and wastewater to favor the use of dry toilets; the use of new foundations, with a more limited impact. »
“Protecting the environment and respecting safety are priorities”
The work to lighten the tower will, according to the organizers, “help reduce the drilling depth of the foundations”. The drilling method has also been modified, so as not to damage the coral. Furthermore, Paris 2024 promises to “strengthen site control measures by public authorities responsible for respect for the environment, environmental design offices and representatives of associations”.
The parties assure that they “will continue the work until the Games, in a spirit of dialogue and transparency with the municipalities concerned, representatives of environmental associations, the local surfing community and residents. » A dialogue which had apparently been lacking in recent months. In mid-October, a demonstration brought together several hundred people, denouncing the installation of a “tower that is oversized in relation to its function”, without “any environmental impact study”.
To find a solution, Paris 2024 studied new avenues, such as bringing the old wooden tower up to standard, abandoning the judging of the competition from the tower (via boats), strengthening the existing foundations to place the new tower. All were abandoned. “It represented a colossal amount of work,” summarizes Édouard Donnelly, director of operations at Paris 2024, who explains that the desire “was to stay at all costs on the Teahupoo site and ride this legendary wave.” “Protecting the environment and respecting safety are also priorities,” he insists. The work will therefore continue, even if the timing will now be tight. The site should be ready in May for the test event.
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