After AZF and Beirut, the storage of ammonium nitrates raises serious concerns in Charente-Maritime

“Nobody is aware in the sector”, assures a retiree elected in a village bordering Aigrefeuille-d'Aunis.

"It looks like a forced passage," says an activist associated with Nupes (New Popular Ecological and Social Union).

About fifteen people gathered this Tuesday, July 12 in front of the headquarters of Novaem, a company specializing in the storage and assembly of agricultural fertilizers.

Founded in 2001 on former military land, it has been the subject since May and until Wednesday of a public inquiry in order to increase its activities and storage capacities.

The site could soon be classified as “Seveso high threshold” (

) like eight others in Charente-Maritime.

The reason ?

Ammonium nitrate used to fertilize the soil will in particular be stored in even greater quantities.

Notably responsible for the tragedies of the AZF factory in Toulouse in 2001 and the port of Beirut (Lebanon) in 2020, this compound has since raised serious concerns wherever it is stored.

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Its presence and the future label "Seveso threshold high" stuck to Novaem are of particular concern to environmentalists.

“Why don't we have any precise information on this project?

The public inquiry file is empty and provides no response to the quantities stored and handled, ”says Katia Bourdin, La Rochelle and EELV regional councilor.

"Raise the level of security as much as the activity"

President of Novaem, Bernard Béal ensures for his part “to do everything legally”.

The ammonium nitrate handled on the Aigrefeuille-d'Aunis site would be "low dosages" and would present no risk of explosion unlike those stored in Toulouse or Beirut, he specifies.

Novaem's storage capacities would oscillate between 10 and 20,000 tonnes.

This classification “high threshold Seveso” would ultimately be linked, underlines Bernard Béal, to the desire of the company “to raise the level of safety as much as its activity” while sticking to current regulations.

Seized for an opinion, the Regional Environmental Authority Mission (MRAE) of the New Aquitaine region nevertheless expressed reservations about the impact study delivered by Novaem as part of the public inquiry.

This "does not clarify the situation of the existing installation and the activity extension project", writes the MRAE, stressing the lack of clarity regarding the transport of this compound.

Formal notice

"Two-thirds of the accidents related to ammonium nitrate took place during its transport", insists the regional adviser EELV Katia Bourdin before recalling that the company Novaem has been put on notice by the Regional Directorate for the Environment, the development and housing (DREAL) following a site inspection last year.

“The DREAL confused tons and kilos.

We dispute this erroneous action, born of confusion", retorts Me Benoît Coussi, the lawyer for Novaem who sees in it the will of the State to "put pressure on the company to speed up the procedures" for classification "Seveso high threshold.

The demonstrators present this Tuesday in front of Novaem claim, them, “the extension of the public inquiry so that the elected officials and inhabitants of the territory can fully take note of this project”.