February 13, 2024 at 11:04 am
Nature and Environment Chemours File
Sliderecht In May last year, I traveled to Velsen-Zuid. I had my first appointment there for a chemistry portfolio with Professor Jacob de Boer. A man who can explain very complex matters in detail and clarity. And he did so with verve. I drove more than a hundred kilometers back to Dordrecht with great enthusiasm and complete inspiration. Despite hours of research and reading, a conversation with Jacob de Boer gave me more information than I could have thought of in just over an hour. It gave me a good idea of what materials were and are being used at Chemours, the danger of so-called PFAS emissions and what has been entering the land, air and water in the area for the last sixty or so years.
In the months that followed, I visited the House of Representatives, the Regional Council, and the headquarters of the “Health Above All” working group in Banhok Sliedrekhtsi and spoke to many people. The rest of the news about Chemours also reached me, sometimes to the point of nausea. It made me think over and over again about what really happened here. Because it seems clear to me that Chemours has released hazardous materials. It also seems to me that there will be consequences for the people in Sliedrecht and Dordrecht and perhaps for the whole world – because the Dordrecht chemical giant is not the only manufacturer using these controversial substances. You only have to read Ted van der Vlies’ story to see that the impact of emissions of these “forever chemicals” – whether they directly cause cancer or not – is significant. The discussion around the Chemours project made me think about whether this would be a good place for me to live here in the area with my children. How much can I protect them from these types of influences, if it’s not already too late? More importantly, where in the world can you still live?
I believe Chemours director An Lemaire when she says it’s very different today, but on balance what does that buy you if the environment was so seriously polluted in the past that you couldn’t eat from your own garden?
Last Saturday I attended the 200th Aquarius protest for the Health Above All Action Group, now renamed the Stop PFAS, Stop Chemistry Foundation. Six days ago, at the conclusion of the Chemours profile, I conducted an interview with Anne Lemaire, Director of Chemours Netherlands. She told me a lot, but really there was nothing new. Yes, I understand the sentiment surrounding past emanations. “We need to address what happened in the past and the problems people have as a result deserve attention and need to be solved,” she said. “The factory that exists now is a completely different factory than before. We understand the sentiment, but the situation now is very different than it was in the past.” I participated in the protest as a journalist rather than an activist, although I have wondered several times over the past year whether I should have joined the protest too. I believe Chemours director An Lemaire when she says that things are very different today and that Chemours is doing everything it can to reduce PFAS emissions. But in general, what do you buy for it if the environment was so seriously polluted in the past that That you can’t eat from your own garden, you can’t eat eggs from your chickens, you’ve breastfed all three of your kids because it’s “the best thing to do?” before them and you’ve actually poisoned them even more and spent years swimming in the “poison pool” in the summer? Does the knowledge that things are now being done better outweigh all those other things? I honestly don’t know. Hopefully, now that the series is over, you’ll know the answers to these very difficult questions.
Marjan Dijkstra
Would you like to read all the stories in your Chemours file again? Then look here: www.hetkompassliedrecht.nl/dossier-chemours
