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Fires in Corse-du-Sud in 2009: EDF found guilty and sentenced

2021-09-14T14:28:44.841Z


Electricité de France (EDF), accused of being at the origin of two fires which destroyed 4,000 hectares of vegetation in 2009 in Corse-du-Sud, has ...


Electricité de France (EDF), accused of being the cause of two fires that destroyed 4,000 hectares of vegetation in 2009 in Corse-du-Sud, was found guilty on Tuesday by the Ajaccio court and sentenced to 40,000 euros fine.

See also Emmanuel Macron postpones the major reorganization of EDF

The court found EDF guilty of negligent breach of a safety obligation and set March 2, 2022 for the examination of compensation claims. "

In my opinion, this is a first to see EDF condemned for acts of fire and this decision could set a precedent

", told AFP Me André Celli, one of the civil party lawyers who represents five municipalities and a business. Me Marc Maroselli, for the defense of EDF, told AFP that an appeal of this decision was "

almost certain

".

During the hearing, on June 1 and 2, the Ajaccio prosecutor, Carine Greff had requested the release of the company, arguing that “

we cannot convict on hypotheses

”.

"

Yes, it can be electric but I only have scenarios, I have no proof,

" she argued in her requisitions.

"Ecological damage of several million euros"

Several dozen civil parties including several municipalities, the Corsican environmental office, individuals and companies, had come to argue the responsibility of the company in these fires of July 23, 2009, a very windy day.

For these civil parties, breaches of legal obligations to prune trees too high under the lines would have favored the creation of electric arcs and caused these two fires.

Read also An employee of EDF contaminated in a nuclear power plant in Ardèche

"

All the elements converge on the responsibility of EDF

", indicated Tuesday to AFP Me Jérôme Susini, one of the lawyers of the civil parties representing three communes, by denouncing an "

ecological damage of several million euros

". At the hearing, he pointed out "

the material findings of the gendarmes who precisely determined the point of outbreak of the fire in a meadow under the EDF cables

", the presence of "

four witnesses in a shelter who, all, saw electric cables on fire and drops of fire falling on the vegetation

”.

Pleading the release, the defense of EDF, represented by Me Marc Maroselli and Me Hyppolite Marchetti, had for its part denied any breach, affirming that a "

hypothesis, it is not a proof

" and "

that an addition of testimonies it is not a proof either

”. These fires in Aullène and in the Ortolo valley, between Sartène and Bonifacio, had led to the destruction of several farms, a house and the evacuation of a campsite.

Source: lefigaro

All news articles on 2021-09-14

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