A thousand liters of drain oil spilled in a river near Lyon – Liberation

More than a week after the facts, the vezrance, a river south of Lyon (Rhône) located in the town of Saint-Romain-en-Gal, finally becomes transparent again. Water « Seems to have fun again », even « If it remains of diesel concentrated in the cavities », explains on social networks the mayor of the town, Luc Thomas. For days, everything was just « Black tide ». The reason: a tank of a thousand liters of hydrocarbons, « Probably diesel » According to the councilor, was found emptying in the river, tributary of the Rhône, during the weekend of May 10 and 11. The mayor of Saint-Romain-en-Gal, contacted by Releasedenounces an act « Lavable » And « Library ».

« How can we dare to do such things as useless as stupid? » Tonight I am a very angry mayor who hopes that the authors will be arrested and strongly condemned ”he castigates, while adding that this act can only be « voluntary ».

The risks of pollution of the watercourse were however able to quickly be contained, thanks to the intervention of firefighters, the French office of biodiversity (OFB), hunters, farmers or even fishermen, reassures progress. All worked together to set up dams, absorb the pollutant – especially in areas of high concentration – and confine pollution. The retention basins developed along the river also made it possible to stem the spread of hydrocarbon.

The nearby drinking water catchments have not been damaged, specifies the Rhône prefecture at Figaro,, After referral to the Regional Health Agency (ARS). OFB agents, however, continue to monitor the ecosystem of Vézérance, a so -called river « First category » which houses protected species from the region. “There is in particular the crayfish with white foot, it is a species in the process of extinction. (…) We also have a lot of concern for all the animals that come to drink in the river, birds, mammals… ”, is therefore worried Christophe Darfeuile, president of the Naturama association, at the microphone of BFMTV.

A « New protection operation » will be carried out this weekend on the vezrance, specifies the mayor. “We are going to put giant blotters on the water. They are adapted to this type of disaster, and make it possible to absorb fat without absorbing water ”, details Luc Thomas.

In the wake of this degradation which he describes as « A unspeakable act of delinquency », the mayor of Saint-Romain-en-Gal announced that « The water police and the gendarmerie (were) already hard at work to confuse the authors and numerous clues (had) already been taken. » An investigation was opened by the gendarmerie of Ampuis. A call for witnesses was also launched to find possible witnesses who saw a vehicle carrying a tank.

On x, The Minister of Ecological Transition Agnès Pannier-Runacher also denounced this Friday a « Unacceptable act », adding that the authors must be « Identified, sanctioned, and fully established responsibilities ».

She has expressed all his support « To the mayor and his team, as well as to the inhabitants, who are the first victims of this situation ». And Agnès Pannier-Runacher to continue: “This irresponsible gesture can have serious consequences and exposes us to very real risks, such as contamination of capturing areas for drinking water or irrigation waters and asphyxiation of aquatic ecosystems. Polling a river means jeopardizing the water that we drink, the land that we cultivate and the life around us. ”

Update at 6:05 p.m., with the mayor’s declarations