Forever Chemicals Have Polluted Lyon For 66 Years

Residents blame French chemical giant Arkema for contaminating the environment around its plant near Lyon.

Photo Insert: Residents and associations have launched legal action against Arkema.

In Pierre-Bénite, south of the city, Arkema has become the focus of accusations for releasing tons of PFAs, or forever chemicals, into the environment, Anne Devineaux reported for Euronews.Green.

Ever since an inquiry exposed the scale of the problem last year, local resident Thierry Mounib, president of the Bien vivre à Pierre-Bénite association, has been looking for answers. The investigation revealed alarming levels of contamination in the blood of local residents.

"Our elected representatives seek to reassure the population," he says. "What's more, according to statements made by our MP, there's no point in panicking the population anyway as we don't have a solution."

These ultra-toxic and persistent perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) are everywhere.

Residents and associations have launched legal action against Arkema. Their objective is to make the group pay for a long-term study of local residents' health but also to immediately limit toxic discharges.

"Arkema has been producing PFAS since 1957," says Camille Panisset, head of the Notre Affaire à Tous association.

"And according to the IGEDD (General Inspectorate for the Environment and Sustainable Development) report, 3.5 tons of PFAS are discharged into the Rhône every year. Since October, following a prefectural decree, they have begun to filter it.

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