The municipality of Helmond is going to report Custom Powders. Last week, TV program Zembla revealed that the company has discharged PFAS for the sewer for 15 years. Responsible alderman Arno Bonte speaks of ‘criminal behavior’. Last week the alderman already took into account a possible declaration, but he first wanted to wait and see if the recent invasion of the judiciary at Chemours in Dordrecht would yield something. Now there will be a declaration.
Custom Powders dried Teflon powder on behalf of the company Chemours in Dordrecht. For example, the material is used in the non-stick coating of pans and in raincoats.
The makers of Zembla received internal documents that show that the company illegal Pfas was leaving the sewer in Helmond. There was already an alarm signal in 2018 when the water board discovered raised concentrations of the toxic substance GenX at the sewage treatment plant in Aarle-Rixtel. Custom Powders later admitted that he was the source.
The city council and the alderman are furious with the company after the revelations of Zembla. According to the program makers, Chemours already knew the illegal discharges in 2011. The opposition parties in the city council want a council survey to get the bottom stone above. A number of parties already argued for a declaration to the judiciary last week.
There is also care about the health of the local residents of Custom Powders. The GGD did not do any extra population screening last week, but various parties argue for the opportunity for people to be able to test their blood themselves. According to Zembla’s report, a thousand times more PFAS has been found in the blood of employees of Custom Powders than is deemed safe.
The Custom Powders branch in Helmond has gone bankrupt. That happened while the municipality of Helmond tried to move the company to clean up the PFAS pollution itself. This pollution mainly went out through the chimney and slammed down in the area. Zembla showed that the sewer was also discharged. “It’s just criminal and contrary to the permit at that time,” says Alderman Bonte.
The costs of the remediation are 10 million euros. This is now largely paid by the government, but that is also money from the taxpayer. The alderman does not want to let it go. “It cannot be that the company gets away with this.” The municipality has already held chemours ‘pro forma’ liable. “This is to prevent it from having expelled,” said the alderman.