Late on Wednesday evening, the Flemish Parliament unanimously approved the establishment of a commission of inquiry into PFOS pollution in Zwijndrecht. In the topical debate that preceded the vote, it quickly became clear that both the majority parties and the opposition are in favor of setting up a commission of inquiry.
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Just after 11 p.m., 115 MEPs voted to set up a commission of inquiry into PFOS pollution in Zwijndrecht and the surrounding area. It has to get out of the starting blocks before the summer and determine what went wrong, who is responsible and what lessons should be learned for the future. It was already a foregone conclusion that the commission of inquiry will be established before the debate started, and the topical debate also clearly showed that both the majority parties and the opposition were in favour.
“Health is the most important good, the government must do everything for the health of citizens,” said Flemish Prime Minister Jan Jambon (N-VA) at the opening of the topical debate in the Flemish Parliament. ‘What could possibly have gone wrong in the past, we have to consider in the committee of inquiry on which you as parliament will decide today. That’s what I’m assuming. As a government, we will loyally cooperate in this,” said Jambon.
‘Full transparency’
‘We want complete transparency, who knew what and why?’ CD&V for the Flemish Parliament Peter Van Rompuy during the debate. ‘A commission of inquiry is then the obvious choice.’ Van Rompuy says he supports the opposition’s proposal, and even accepts a member of the opposition as chairman of the inquiry committee.
Group leader for Vlaams Belang Chris Janssens talks about the disagreement in the Flemish government about this file. His party supports the proposal to set up a commission of inquiry.
Wilfried Vandaele, party leader for N-VA in the Flemish Parliament, also let it be known that his group supports the establishment of the committee. Also Open VLD advocates ‘maximum transparency’ and supports the establishment of the inquiry committee. ‘But that committee will not pay for the pollution, but will map out which authorities had what information and at what time,’ says party leader Willem-Frederik Schiltz.
Flemish Member of Parliament for Green Mieke Schauvliege asks that the works on the Oosterweel connection be halted until there is more clarity about pollution of the ground.
Hannes Anaf, Flemish Member of Parliament for forward, talks about the residents of Zwijndrecht who knew nothing about the pollution. “People have built, grown vegetables, eaten eggs from their chickens,” Anaf said. “Soil that cars will drive on will be better protected than the ground that children will play on.” For Anaf, it is not only a health and environmental crisis, but also a responsibility crisis. “This is a situation where victims pay twice, once with health, and also through taxes.”
Jos D’haese, party leader for PVDA, talks about the responsibility of the ruling parties of the past twenty years.
‘The polluter pays’
Environment Minister Zuhal Demir (N-VA) reiterated that 3M is liable and that the remediation obligation remains. ‘The settlement doesn’t change that,’ she says. ‘The polluter pays, the remediation is still ongoing, at the expense of 3M.’
Public health also takes precedence for Minister of Public Works Lydia Peeters (Open VLD). ‘The works are checked and followed up’, she says. An ad hoc committee was set up in which experts must determine in all objectivity how the works should be tackled. ‘I want to hear from toxicologists whether the earthmoving can continue or not.’
Bart Somers, Minister of the Interior for Open VLD, adds that he wants to be transparent from the Flemish government towards the mayors. “Mayors must quickly know what precautions to take pending further measurements,” he says. ‘That way we can do the maximum to safeguard public health in other places.’
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