The Antwerp opposition parties Groen and PVDA are not convinced by the statements of Mayor Bart De Wever (N-VA) in Gazette of Antwerp on PFOS pollution. They will challenge him at the extra city council on Monday. “Saying that you did intend to communicate is not sufficient,” says PvdA party leader Peter Mertens.
–
ALSO READ: Opposition calls city council together urgently
ALSO READ: De Wever about PFOS pollution: “Shutting down Oosterweel would be a disaster”
When last week a leaked email from Lantis, the developer of the Oosterweel connection, showed that the Antwerp city council was already aware of the pollution in Zwijndrecht in 2017, the Antwerp opposition convened an extra city council. It will meet digitally on Monday evening at 9 p.m. PFOS pollution is on the agenda.
The opposition parties expect answers from the city council to a series of questions. What is the timeline of the information and research results that the city government received about the pollution? When and what measures were taken? What communication was there to the residents? How does the city council evaluate the situation now? And what investigations, communication and measures is the Antwerp city council planning?
De Wever already answered a few questions in an interview. He confirms that in 2017 the political steering committee of Lantis discussed the. “I can tell you: in September 2017 I fervently, but also fervently pleaded for the pollution at the Oosterweel site to be made known to the world,” says De Wever. “But they have chosen not to do that. What argument do you have as a mayor if the competent environmental authority says: not necessary?”
De Wever says he is firmly in his shoes in this file. “I can answer about what I am asked as mayor. They can ask me anything. I whistle to the inquiry committee.”
Peter Mertens. — © Kris Van Exel
–
Negligent
Antwerp PVDA party leader Peter Mertens, who had asked the extra city council, is not impressed by De Wever’s response.
“It’s not enough to say you intended to communicate,” says Mertens. “We just had to communicate. If you already know in 2012 and 2016 that the contaminated eggs are harmful, why was there no further research? Proactive policy is not only communicating, but also investigating further. That this has not happened is simply culpable omission. From the interview I learn that informing residents is apparently optional in a democracy. It doesn’t stop the mayor from expressing his opinion about everything that happens in the world, but when there is heavy pollution in his own city, he remains silent.”
–Imade Annouri. — © Nattida-Jayne Kanyachalao
–
Response Green
Green party leader Imade Annouri also still has many questions. According to him, it is still unclear whether De Wever now puts the Oosterweel connection or public health first. Annouri is also disturbed by the absence of the mayor in this file.
“Like many Antwerp residents, I want to be reassured in this file,” says Annouri. “But the mayor is completely absent from this file. Why? There is a lot of demand for information, but De Wever cycles around it by referring to the waste company OVAM. You’re not going to tell me that the mayor is letting himself be handled by this service. Telling citizens that there is pollution is not a message that you can score with, so he kept quiet.”
–The Antwerp opposition hopes to receive clear answers from the city council on PFOS pollution by the company 3M on Monday at the extra city council. — © MARC HERREMANS – MEDIA HOUSE
— .
