After almost four years, the province will start cleaning up the plot of land on Pater Taksweg in Rijsbergen contaminated with drug waste on Thursday. This is one of the largest drug waste dumps in Brabant.
The cleaning work took a long time to complete because the municipality of Zundert was involved in a legal battle with the land owner.
Landowner
After the discovery of the contamination in 2020, plot owner Toon Francken was held responsible for the dumping and clean-up costs. Francken started proceedings against the municipality.
Ultimately, in June this year, the Council of State ruled in favor of the relatives of the now deceased landowner. According to the Council of State, the municipality of Zundert has made it ‘not plausible’ that the discharge of pollutants was due to the very elderly Rijsbergen resident.
Chemicals and sweet smells
Research has shown that a total of 1,740 cubic meters of soil and 7,500 cubic meters of groundwater on the Pater Taksweg have been contaminated with chemicals. Over the next two months, the province will have the most contaminated soil excavated up to three meters deep. Dozens of trucks drive back and forth to remove the dirty soil and bring in clean soil.
The province has informed local residents that ‘sweet smells’ may be released during the excavation work. “There are currently no indications that this poses any risks to health and food safety. This will be monitored during the work,” the province said.
Cleaning costs
In the first half of next year, the effect of soil remediation on the groundwater and how the groundwater can be further purified will be examined. It may take years before the water is acceptably clean again.
The cleaning costs are estimated at 500,000 to one million euros. It is still being determined from whom these costs can be recovered.
READ ALSO:
Landowner cleared in drug spill: governments react disappointed
Toon (91) has died, but the arguing about drug dumping continues