More than two months after oil drained from a Goodyear Tire plant in Colmar-Berg into the river Attert, the Ministry of Sustaiable Development and Infrastructure and the Environment Department of Luxembourg have issued a report detailing actions that have since been taken.
Secretary of State for the Environment, Camille Gira, issued several decrees demanding that Goodyear implement basic emergency measures, after a second wave of pollution was observed from the site. A water sample showed that the oil was non-hazardous, and precautionary measures such as dams and technical equipment were implemented to ensure no further issues.
In response to the Ministerial Decress of 20 April 2016, the Goodyear-Dunlop Tires Operation SA company is now carrying out repair work on its Oil Farm unit and on a part of its stormwater network site to prevent further pollution.
Two temporary clay dams, built to prevent further spillage of polluted water into the river, are being monitored by the Goodyear Fire Brigade and the water level between the two regulated. Samples are being continuously monitored, with results showing a marked improvement in the situation. Some oil streaks are, however, still making an appearance from time to time, meaning that the provisional dams will remain in place until a final solution is implemented.
The Ministry announced that work on the N22 national road at the level of the Goodyear plant is unrelated to the pollution incident and had been planned prior by the Administration des ponts et chaussées.
The Ministry of Health had issued a precautionary measure on 18 April 2016 to avoid consuming fish from the river. The Administration de la gestion de l'eau was due to conduct a second sampling which was ultimately delayed due to the recent high levels of the Attert. Samples are however now available and will be sent to a specialised laboratory, after which the results will be assessed and reported.
Photo by Police Grand Ducale
