Le Figaro Bordeaux
The investigation carried out by the gendarmerie into the origins of the pollution which led to the oyster crisis in the Arcachon basin in December is still underway to identify those criminally responsible. And the criminal proceedings that will follow have not yet been initiated. But the Bordeaux administrative court has already ruled on one fact: whether they are responsible for the norovirus contamination of oysters or not, the overflow of the Audenge and Lanton sanitation basins constitutes an infraction of the environmental code. .
Serving as a
“buffer”
for wastewater retention when the network is saturated, one had overflowed while the second had been the subject of a controlled discharge into a ditch until January 3, 2024. And this, while analyzes carried out in February in the Audenge tank established the presence of norovirus in these waters. The intercommunal union of the Arcachon basin (Siba) and a subsidiary of Veolia, responsible for their management and operation of this network, were therefore required by the Bordeaux court on Tuesday to correct the situation.
"Good will"
In a rare environmental criminal summary, triggered by a request from the Bordeaux public prosecutor's office after a complaint filed by the Gironde branch of the company for the study, protection and development of nature in the South-West (Sepanso), the judge in fact points to
“repeated malfunctions”
causing
“polluting discharges”
. A sufficient fact, even in the absence of attribution of criminal liability, to force Siba and Veolia to immediately cease all pumping at Audenge and to set up within a month weekly analyzes at the Lanton basin - carried out by an independent laboratory.
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The two entities also have a period of four months to formalize their request for the construction
of “a storm overflow on each of the safety basins of the Arcachon basin sanitation network”
, and six months to install
“a screening system”
in Audenge and Lanton. Measures, accompanied by a fine of 1000 euros per day of delay.
Satisfied with the action of the Bordeaux public prosecutor's office and the finding
of "a serious and urgent situation"
by the judge, Sepanso declares via its lawyer, Maître Ruffié, to be delighted with these injunctions although they concern
"filing of files for work that should have been done two years ago
. When requested, Yves Foulon, the mayor of Arcachon and president of Siba, did not answer our questions for the moment.