Between November 2021 and December 2021 and between March 2022 and April 2022, each time just before the suspension of technical reports by the Council of State, Lantis deliberately constructed large parts of the Oosterweel connection with tons of PFAS-contaminated soil. Bond Beter Leefmilieu announced this after they were given access to the file. The environmental umbrella organization reacts furiously: “This cannot go without consequences. The Lantis management is not a reliable partner.”
The Flemish environmental inspectorate has drawn up a report because Lantis used PFAS-containing soils under highway complexes at the Scheldt tunnel, the Sint-Anna junction and the Antwerp West junction in 2021 and 2022 without having an environmental permit for this. The land is waste and should not simply be used. The PV with reminder was sent to Lantis on Monday, October 9, 2023 and also transferred to the public prosecutor’s office for further criminal investigation.
Can Lantis management still stay on?
“It is yet another error in the Oosterweel file. This action by Lantis is yet another signal that it is not a reliable partner to tackle the PFAS problem. If you act in the public interest, you do not quickly cover up grounds when you know that they will soon be labeled as dangerous. It’s that simple”, Tycho Van Hauwaert of Bond Beter Leefmilieu responds sharply.
The question is what should be done with the illegal land? Simply regularizing and sponging over it is not an option. BBL requires an independent risk assessment and an investigation into a legal and least environmentally harmful solution. In addition, the Flemish Government must immediately oblige Lantis to complete its descriptive soil research in order to start the real remediation of the Oosterweel.
Bond Beter Leefmilieu urges further investigation and stricter enforcement so that solutions can be found quickly and to rule out any other infringements.
“The report speaks of 148,000 tons of contaminated soil. You don’t just move it accidentally. It is only logical that this matter is investigated: who was informed, and who made the decision? Lantis cannot simply justify this crime legally. It is up to the public prosecutor’s office to formulate the correct conclusions and punishment.”
The facts date from before the conclusion of the remediation agreement between the Flemish government, Lantis, Natuurpunt Waasland, municipality of Zwijndrecht, citizens’ movement Zwijndrecht Gezond and Bond Beter Leefmilieu.
2023-10-10 17:25:19
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