Crowdfunding and parliamentary questions: Toon (90) has to pay tons due to drug waste

The very elderly Toon Francken (90) from Rijsbergen has to pay from the municipality of Zundert for cleaning up a large discharge of drug waste. That writes the newspaper Trouw. It would probably cost the man tons. That is why a fundraiser has been started. The SP has asked parliamentary questions about the issue.

The issue surrounding Francken came to light through Trouw. The son of the very elderly man states in the newspaper that his father is held responsible for the dumping of chemical drug waste on or near his site in Rijsbergen.

Crowdfunding and parliamentary questions
The InStrepitus Foundation, which strives for clean soil, does not agree with this and has started a fundraising campaign. On the website of the campaign it can be read that the foundation believes that Frankcen ‘has been found guilty without having been proven’.

The goal is to initially raise 100,000 euros. Around ten o’clock in the morning the counter is still at more than 500 euros. Meanwhile, the national SP has also become involved in the matter.

Two SP members in the House of Representatives have asked questions about Francken’s situation to the ministers of Justice and Security and Infrastructure and Water Management.

‘Probable tons’
Drug criminals discharged “large amounts of chemicals and solvents into the soil, which severely contaminated 20,000 cubic meters of groundwater,” the newspaper writes.

The Soil Protection Act states that the land owner can be held responsible for cleaning up that contamination.

According to the newspaper, the clean-up costs amount to ‘probable tons’. Francken’s family states that the elderly man is not to blame and has engaged a lawyer. There is an appeal procedure with the municipality.

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