A gigantic trash can just a stone's throw from the future Olympic site dedicated to cycling... An embarrassing false note in the orchestration of the Paris 2024 Olympics, the affair was revealed by Le Parisien in February 2023.
Valérie Pécresse, president (LR) of the Île-de-France region, traveled to Montigny-le-Bretonneux (Yvelines), this Saturday morning, to announce the battle plan for her big cleaning around the Saint -Quentin-en-Yvelines.
In July, the site will host cycling events, a fan zone... and thousands of spectators.
A few dozen meters away, the old campsite of “Parc de l'étang”, no man's land for around fifteen years, has been transformed over time into an open-air landfill, on this 12 hectare site belonging to the Ile-de-France region.
An ocean of waste along a Natura 2000 classified site
Trash bags by the thousands, supermarket trolleys, asbestos waste, bathtubs… Over a little over 3 ha, the magma has infiltrated the vegetation, along the leisure center – larger shot water of Île-de-France –, and its ornithological reserve, a Natura 2000 classified area.
Valérie Pécresse has undertaken to finance the 700,000 euros necessary for the clean-up and to use “all means to ensure that the Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines site is clean and in good condition from July”.
The envelope will be put to the vote of the standing committee during the week.
Waste clearance and sorting operations should begin on April 2.
VIDEO.
Mountains of waste a stone's throw from a natural area and a future Olympic site
Will the big sweep mark the end of the saga?
In 2012, in an advanced state of disrepair, the Bois de l'Étang campsite closed for work.
A standoff began between the Sepah company, then managing the land, and around ten families who continued to occupy the site in DIY huts, despite an injunction to leave the premises issued by the Versailles administrative court.
At the time, a luxury campsite project was in the pipeline, but would never see the light of day.
“A mafia network from Eastern Europe”
Questioned by Le Parisien in February 2023, José Cachín, president of the joint union (SMEAG
)
which then managed the leisure island, explained: “The occupants have gradually developed a real business around the illegal dump.
There were constant comings and goings of trucks.
We had installed huge stones to block the entrance, but they were removed immediately.”
In December 2023, the region decided to regain 100% management of this leisure island.
“We know today that illegal dumping was accumulated by a mafia network from Eastern Europe.
The vehicle plates have been identified.
The situation deteriorated during confinement: the site was used as a recycling center by people who had found the right plan,” explained Valérie Pécresse, this Saturday, in the middle of the ocean of waste.
Montigny-le-Bretonneux, Wednesday February 1, 2023. LP/Elisabeth Gardet
The objective is to clean up, “but above all to eradicate, that is to say to prevent these environmental thugs from returning.
Neither here, nor 50 m further, she insisted.
We will therefore install barriers, video surveillance and a security system.
»
“The Île-de-France region has shown itself to be the only proactive one from 2021 by releasing numerous funding: 51,000 euros in November 2021 for studies, 230,000 euros in November 2022 to clean the old campsite,” we insist. to the region.
Despite the allocations granted to the joint union (
the former SMEAG
), nothing was done to clean the site, which has even deteriorated further due to lack of supervision.
»