The groundwater that has to be pumped up to dig the Scheldt tunnel of the Oosterweel connection is contaminated with various PFAS substances. Client Lantis has “asked questions about the social and ecological added value of the purification” of that water before it is discharged into the Scheldt, according to spokeswoman Annik Dirkx. Flemish Minister for the Environment Zuhal Demir (N-VA) will decide “in good conscience” about the file in mid-November.
‘Apache’ rang the bell on Monday: the pumped-up groundwater must be purified, but the cost of that operation is rising sharply.
“We have been purifying groundwater contaminated with PFAS for years, and we will continue to do so in the coming years,” responds Lantis spokeswoman Annik Dirkx. According to the independent public company, independent experts report that the return is “as good as non-existent”.
“The costs are high, think of energy and the use of scarce raw materials, and the benefits are non-existent,” says Dirkx. She also points out that the carbon filters used for water purification are linked after use, resulting in CO2 emissions.
VTM NIEUWS science journalist Martijn Peters explains in the video below what PFOS is, part of the group of chemical substances PFAS.
“Lantis is really not going to dump extra PFAS in the Scheldt”, Dirkx emphasized strongly on the phone. In addition, machines have already been ordered that will purify the pumped up groundwater on the left and right banks.
Andy Pieters, spokesperson for Minister Demir, informs our editors that the file has not yet arrived at her cabinet. It is still being handled by the administration. “The deadline for the decision is the second half of November. We will make a decision in good conscience by then. We never anticipate licensing decisions,” says Pieters.
Environment still heavily polluted
While Lantis has critical comments about the cost of the legal obligation to sanitize waste water before it is discharged, measurements indicate that the environment of the 3M chemical plant remains highly polluted with the harmful forever chemicals.
Read more below the card.
The Zeeland newspaper ‘PZC’ published a widely read article on Monday about the Palingbeek that flows into the Scheldt. The theme is sensitive in Zeeuws-Vlaanderen and calls are made for a Dutch-Flemish approach to the problem. Figures from the Flemish Environment Agency that our editors consulted show that the concentrations of various types of PFAS remain high, but are decreasing.
Also read: What is the difference between PFAS and PFOS?
At the end of September, 18,000 nanograms per liter of the well-known species, PFOS, were still measured, compared to 48,000 ng/l. However, the European standard for fresh surface water for PFOS is 0.65 nanograms and is therefore exceeded 27,692 times. For PFOA, the standard was exceeded 195 times at the end of September.
The Dutch want less PFAS in drinking water
Sciensano’s Dutch counterpart, the RIVM, recently published a recommendation to reduce the amount of PFAS in drinking water in the coming years.
The chemicals used in, among other things, non-stick pans, cosmetics, clothing and food packaging are linked to cancer, elevated cholesterol levels and reproductive problems.
The Dutch Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management Mark Harbers of the liberal party VVD immediately decided that no more PFAS should be present in waste water than is allowed in drinking water. In places where drinking water is extracted, no more than 4.4 nanograms of PFAS per liter of water may be measured.
Prof biotechnology: “We must avoid microplastics ending up in the environment as much as possible”
Oosterweelbouwheer Lantis is going to clean up PFAS pollution himself, Groen questions health standards
Lantis calls on activist groups to stop legal battle: “Because it is not Oosterweel that is a problem for public health” (+)
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