In Aisne, 1,500 people demonstrate against the establishment of a Rockwool factory

Rockwool’s project continues to spark controversy. Some 1,500 people demonstrated on Saturday June 3 in Soissons (Aisne), according to the organizers and the prefecture, to protest against the establishment of the Danish giant’s rock wool factory in the neighboring town of Courmelles, denouncing in particular its impact. environmental. The construction of this factory, which would employ 130 people, is contested by residents and doctors of the Soissonnais, who fear the release into the air of dust and products such as phenols, formaldehyde and ammonia.

“We want to make the prefectural authorities and our elected officials understand that the project is unacceptable, that it has too many flaws”, affirmed Génebaud Gérandal, of the association of opponents Stop Rockwool. According to him, the chimneys of the factory “should spit out more than 800 tons of toxic particles per year” of which “105 tons of endocrine disruptors”It is “hallucinating”. “This factory would be in the top 10 of the worst factories in France in terms of air pollution”fulminates the collective in a press release, also denouncing “an energy gap” and the amount of water required for operation.

“Principle of impartiality”

Matthieu Biens, marketing director of the company, disputes these accusations. In Saint-Eloy-les-Mines (Puy-de-Dôme), where there is already a Rockwool factory, “we have three production lines in the heart of the city”against one planned in Courmelles, “we regularly take measurements via a third-party organization, Atmo” And “the reports show that there is no air quality issue” while “the factory is in a basin”he says.

The town hall of the village of Courmelles resigned itself in April to signing the building permit for the plant, despite its ongoing fight against the installation of the site. In December 2022, the administrative court of Amiens had canceled its decree refusing the building permit filed by Rockwool, judging among other things that the mayor had not respected “the principle of impartiality” in this file. The town hall appealed. In addition to this appeal, opponents have filed appeals against the authorization to operate granted by the prefecture which must be examined on June 22.