Brief history
The Department of Aude is looking to establish a landfill site for the next 50 years (at least) to take domestic waste (which will include toxic material). At the moment, such rubbish goes to Narbonne, but part of their contract finishes at the beginning of 2007, the rest in about 2013. The Department has been seeking a long-term waste disposal solution for the past 10 years. 5 years ago, another community succeeded in fighting a decision to create a landfill site in their area.
A total of 48 sites were proposed initially, of which Lassac came 44th in terms of suitability in meeting the required criteria. Out of a subsequent shortlist of some 27, Lassac was not included.
In February 2005, the Conseil General d’Aude announced its (incontestable and final) choice: The landfill site is to be at Lassac, next to the site where gold mining has now been closed down. The site is a natural forested area of hillside within sight of the road, considered by some archaeologists to be one of the most important areas in France to be earmarked for excavation for Palaeolithic remains.
Brief background on the area
The Mines
The hills around Lassac have been mined for gold over the past 100 years, causing considerable pollution in the area, significantly leakage of arsenic and other toxins into the Orbiel river. Geologically, there is much underground water, and weather conditions produce severe soil erosion in the areas cleared of vegetation for the purpose of mining. The mines closed for good in 2002, and massive work has been undertaken to clean up the area. The work so far has been well done, but there is much more needed. Now that the mine company has gone into official liquidation, costs for any cleaning up are to be met solely by the French state.
SEPS
In 1992, this company bought the old furnace that had been used to separate gold from other base metals, and were employed to clean up the arsenic and other toxins at the mining site. Their promise was that they could do this without further polluting the area. They were welcomed locally, not only for their project, but also for the much-needed employment and high wages offered. However, not only did they fail in their promise not to create further pollution, but they also, secretly, received extremely toxic waste products from various parts not only of France but also of Europe, which they incinerated in the furnace that had never been adapted for this purpose. Hospital waste, batteries and the most dangerous forms of waste arrived, mostly at night, to be incinerated at the plant. Of course, the result was airborne pollution – much of it carcinogenic - on a massive scale over a period of approximately two years. Local people and workers at the plant fell seriously ill, and at least one man died before the company was denounced, closed in September 1995, and was put into liquidation. Still, many local employees resented the denouncement, which led to closure and subsequent loss of employment.
Tourism
With the closure of the mines, and all the attendant potential consequences of unemployment and depression, much thought and planning has gone into the future of this part of the Black Mountains. As with many areas in Aude, tourism is seen as at least part of the answer. The Cathar castles in the pretty village of Lastours already drew tourists, and the mayor of Lastours has done much to enhance the village’s attractions, restoring its derelict bakery, and converting part of its ruined textile factory to become a modern, well-equipped entrance to the well-maintained walk to the castles. A small shop selling local wine, and three excellent restaurants further enhance the village’s attraction.
The Museum proposal
National and European funds, matched 50% by the Department of Aude had been designated for the restoration of the rest of the textile factory in order to house a museum. Over the past 25 years, archaeological excavations in this small area around the castles of Lastours have yielded some 40,000 historical artefacts. These date back to Roman times, but perhaps most significantly reveal 12th Century architecture and way of life of the inhabitants. These particular artefacts and archaeological discoveries are all the more precious for their rarity. The historical truths that they reveal concern an era about which much was destroyed due to the ruthless, violent crusade against the Cathars in 13th Century. All the findings were to be housed in the museum, which had been some 15 years in the planning.
AOC Wine
After centuries of producing plentiful but mostly inferior wine, finances have been poured into the Languedoc to improve the stock and achieve AOC status. Many years and much effort has gone into achieving this, resulting just recently in many wines local to the Black Mountains receiving AOC status and much sought-after national awards.
The initial local response
This choice of a landfill site at Lassac was met with incredulity by the local villages of Lastours and Conques sur l’Orbiel. The proposal is not even for ‘fill’, as the rock formations, fissures and natural faults in the area preclude serious excavation. It is for a heap, 35 meters high by 1200 meters wide, receiving 5 million tonnes over the next 50 years at least. Besides the potential danger for further toxic waste leakage through the water courses, and the unhealthy nature of the proposed mound, the one main road (at present pretty, winding, rural) entering the Black Mountains would receive constant, heavy traffic as far as Lassac. The mound will stretch for over a kilometre, be visible from the road, a stinking and serious fire risk in the windy, dry summer months. In an attempt to combat inevitable erosion after the natural forest is destroyed, the mound will be lined with thousands of tyres – the authorities argue that they can make it safe and contained.
In August 2004, the villagers of Lastours and Conques sur l’Orbiel set up an independent organisation, the Association Terres d’Orbiel, expressly to query the provenance and legitimacy of the decision. The first action taken was to ask, through a regional tribunal in Montpellier, for an independent expert report on the suitability of the site for such a purpose.
The reaction of the Conseil General d’Aude
Having made their final decision, the Conseil General d’Aude were not to be thwarted. In deciding to oppose the scheme, and revealing to his community the grim reality and extent of the proposals, the mayor of Lastours incurred their wrath and encouraged their punitive powers. To the objection that such a landfill site would harm tourism and the proposed museum attendance, their answer was to withdraw funding for the museum – no tourists, no need for a museum. Consequently, as there were no funds to match, national funds were withdrawn automatically and all plans for restoration of the old textile factory and employment of planners had to be abandoned immediately, obliterating 15 years of devoted effort to the project. The large entrance area to the castles now displays some of the artefacts in glass cases – items ranging from Roman amphora to 13th Century pottery, jewellery and tools, to later glassware, coins etc. Meanwhile, the old textile factory next door continues to deteriorate.
Likewise, objections from the vineyards whose wines had recently achieved AOC status and felt their hard-fought achievements were seriously threatened were ignored.
What happened next
The Association Terres d’Orbiel then requested sight of the original document, commissioned originally by the Conseil General, regarding the geological suitability of the site – how did it suddenly become first choice when originally 44th out or 48 choices? After several attempts to produce partial documentation, the Association was allowed to purchase a CD of the document for some 2.70 euros. This CD turned out to be blank, however when personally returned, another was handed over to the Association member.
In examining the document forensically, this CD has revealed many ‘corrections’ to the original report (one of which was the deletion of a comment that one of the benefits of choosing this site was that little opposition was to be expected). Other ‘corrections’ concerned points where geological unsuitability was indicated. Examples of such corrections were not to mention the existence of any water in the area, the existence of a major international 40,000 volt pylon on the site, and the nature of the rock formations, fissures, fault lines and porosity of the soil.
Armed with this information, the Association Terres d’Orbiel decided to take the Conseil General to a second tribunal, accusing them of mismanagement.
Purchase of the land
The land needed for the landfill in the hands of the official liquidators of SEPS, its sale dependent on the decision of a related tribunal. With the choice of the Lassac site, the Conseil General d’Aude was given one year’s exclusive option to buy this land (to beginning of February 2006). They neglected to apply, and in April 2006 requested an extension to their option. In their request to buy the land, they absolved the liquidators of SEPS from their legal responsibility to clean up any pollution remaining, declaring that they, the Conseil General d’Aude would meet these costs. Responsibility for any existing pollution would thereby fall to the taxpayer. This was deemed to be unlawful, and the request was turned down by the tribunal judge.
Meanwhile, the Association Terres d’Orbiel put in a request to buy the land, naming a price 1,000 euros higher than that offered by the Conseil General. To date, a response is still to come. However, the Conseil General d’Aude’s response to the refusal to grant an extension has been to submit a request to the liquidator demanding a signature of acceptance. The liquidator has indicated to them that it is not in her power to grant this permission. The case continues …..
Further, current and planned activities by the Association Terres d’Orbiel
On 11th July 2006, they were present at the CLI (Commission locale d’information) at Villaniere to explain the true extent of the pollution at Lacombe du Sault, which they were seekjing to minimise.
They have gathered together a group of international scientific experts in order to obtain the soundest information regarding the technical and diagnostic issues.
Points made recently at a press conference regarding the facts about the proposals have, to date, remained uncontested.
On 12th July they met the Chef de cabinet of Madame la Ministre of Ecology and Sustainable Development, to whom they submitted a dossier concerning the site at Lassac. They have been invited to Paris to talk re this dossier within the next few weeks.
Through Belgian connections, they have been invited to speak to a newly-formed support group in Brussels in the near future.
The short term future
There are two major commercial waste disposal company players in France: SITA and ONYX. SITA owns the waste disposal site at Lambert just outside Narbonne, which is expected to be full by 2013. A decision is pending to send about half of Aude’s waste to ONYX’s incinerator in Toulouse for the next 2 to 4 years. ONYX would be glad of the Aude domestic waste – it does not have enough to convert its recycling power to heating a municipal Toulouse swimming pool and housing area, needing to purchase gas to fulfil its contract obligations.
This is good news in the short term. In the longer term, there is a need to play for time. A European directive is anticipated banning the creation of landfill sites throughout Europe, but this will not happen until 2009, and it is likely that any existing sites will be allowed to continue throughout their proposed lifetime, in this case at least 50 years. The Conseil General d’Aude is determined and tenacious, and fighting this proposal requires constant vigilance and activity. Overturning the decision to place a landfill site at Lassac is essential for maintaining the health and beauty of this wonderful area of France.
Surprisingly, not all officials in the Black Mountain villages are against the proposal – this could be because they are not fully aware of the extent, both physical and temporal, of the potential disruption and pollution. Also, benefits are always likely to come to the area in the form of sponsorship for projects etc. However, how can it make sense, economically or for the development and conservation or this beautiful and relatively unspoilt and unexploited part of France, to create and feed a gigantic rubbish tip at the gateway to the Black Mountains? This will not create jobs - on the contrary, tourism and community development will suffer.
The mayors and other officials of Conques and Lastours support and work side by side, but are not members of, the Association Terres d’Orbiel, which is well established legally and structurally, has to date almost 700 members, and is run by some ten volunteers, is funded by membership dues (10 euros pa), bring and buy sales, benefit concerts, donations and any other ingenious legal means possible. In this David and Goliath fight, the Association Terres d’Orbiel needs all the help it can get.
Thanks for any support you can give, address for correspondence is:
Helen Othen
Terre d’Orbiel
La Vernède
11600 Conques sur Orbiel
Aude, France. |
