Antwerp Mayor Bart de Wever (N-VA) once again blasted CD&V into the saga surrounding Zwijndrecht in De Morgen on Radio 1. I can’t imagine policymakers being so stupid that they shut down Austrowell.
The PFOS file has dominated discussions in Zwijndrecht and Antwerp for several weeks now. 3M has been polluting there for years. “Everyone has known since the beginning of this century that PFOS exists,” says Bart de Wever. In 2004, a university research was conducted, and it was in all newspapers. But some politicians still fell from the sky.
• Read the PFOS contamination guide file: Who is it?
The fact that it was decided at the time not to communicate about the pollution seems to be an issue, but De Wever doesn’t see it that way. It’s not a cover-up: it’s been published in all the papers. A process of processing was even agreed in 2009: this is all public information.
“Healthy solution”
“See, in 2017 you can still offer Oosterweel as a health solution. Business can take care of a cure: that was a good solution at the time and advocated. Only then was it said, based on Professor Jan Tetgat’s report, that there was no health problem. Well, It is also a right decision not to communicate more, so that people do not worry. Later, the communication died. I read: They intended to communicate, but in the end they did not. Now this seems strange, but there are no consequences for human health. So far: it is not done Exceeding standards anywhere in Antwerp, in a populated area.
no fuss
Apparently De Wever finds it upsetting that CD&V chief Joachim Coens thinks the arena should be closed. “Questioning about this yard is the worst thing you can do. This is just the Greens agenda. It was also not a wise statement, Queens told me.
• Overview | PFOS contamination in Zwijndrecht
“The complete shutdown of Oosterweel… This is a multi-billion dollar project already in progress, having achieved the miracle of reaching an agreement with the civil movements. These movements also believe that we must move forward. Well, then you have to hear that the business must be stopped, even from a partner in Alliance, it is simply not possible. It is not possible. Queens missed the ball.
What if CD&V and other parties continue? “I don’t think this will be foolproof. Nobody can be that stupid.
