23/01/2013
The Lubrizol factory of Rouen, where gas fumes escaped from Jan. 22 is a site "Seveso upper tier", which defines high-risk industrial facilities. Minister of Ecology Delphine Batho, who announced Tuesday the opening of an administrative investigation, said there was "no doubt had a fault or negligence" causing the accident that poses again the question of security in these plants. Neutralization of foul gas that escapes from the chemical plant Monday Lubrizol Rouen "will take some time," said Wednesday, Jan. 23 the Minister of Ecology Delphine Batho). "At the time I speak, 900 kilos of this volatile mixture were treated.." she said on Europe 1 Wednesday morning, "which means that it will take some time now" to complete the work. The minister, who announced Tuesday the opening of an administrative investigation, said there was "no doubt that negligence or misconduct caused this chemical reaction", without stating that it was "human error or technological error."The association reminds Robin Hood a fatal accident took place in a factory group Lubrizol in 1970, causing the death of three railroad.. after a leak of mercaptan in Morcenx (Landes). "Another similar leak caused in 1 December 1970 the emergency evacuation of part of the village in the Landes de Lamothe and disrupted rail traffic for several hours. Since these events, the mercaptan is regarded by civil protection authorities as a particularly dangerous molecule, calling for strengthening transport modalities and intervention in case of leakage or release, "said Robin Hood.
Moreover, in 2009, the site Lubrizol Oudalle (76) underwent two uncontrolled releases of mercaptan forcing the evacuation of nearby businesses and brief hospitalization of a few employees. "The inability to stop Lubrizol clearances and to prevent fumes outside the perimeter of the plant shows that this ancient site overtaken by urbanization, surrounded by other industrial and busy roads meets the objectives risk management of the Seveso Directive, "says the association.
These incidents in Seveso are high risk in addition to others, some of which have been fatal: AZF (30 deaths in 2001), but also more recently in April 2010, an explosion at a factory Carbone- Lorraine Gennevilliers (Hauts-de-Seine) was one dead and 12 injured. Then, in 2011, an explosion at a factory of the industrial site Lavera, classified Seveso, caused the death of an employee and wounded a second. A series of incidents on the petrochemical complex had burned two..and requires a judgment of the platform, causing controversy over the safety of all industrial facilities in the area. The accident was at least 12 times the number of explosions in these plants in 4 years.
Lack of means to enforce the law
The plant is therefore based Lubrizol Rouen the issue of securing the most hazardous sites. "Unsatisfactory" by France Nature Environnement who denounced the decline of government in protecting the residents of Seveso, the vote of the Finance Act 2011. An ambitious law was adopted in July 2003 to prevent industrial risks, protect employees and local residents, but it is hardly applied, lacks resources, and its record is mixed. ( See Law on Industrial Risks hardly apply )
It will certainly reduced approximately 350 km ² area of the areas at risk and 40% increase in the number of inspections of high-risk facilities Seveso (1500 controls in 2010). However, this equates to a control per year for sites with high threshold values while in 2010, 914 incidents and accidents have been reported in France, nearly 3 events per day.
France Nature Environnement, who participated with other associations to the national monitoring plans Technological Risk Prevention (PPRT) established by the law, had left the organization in 2011 to protest the government's.. protection of residents of Seveso sites.
In fact, PPRT are estimated to number 409 in the Hexagon and 9000 of common concern . However, they should have started in 2008 ... Three years later, on 1 July 2011, only 25% were approved. In July 2012, 43% were approved (or 174 PPRT called "developed"), 54% are under development.
In 2012, France had 1097 in Seveso, of which more than half is classified "Seveso upper tier", that is to say high risk of accidents. Only three departments have not a Seveso site: Lozère, Hautes-Alpes and Paris. With 56 sites, Seine-Maritime (where the Lubrizol Rouen factory) has the highest number of locations.
Increased regulation in 2015
At European level, the draft Directive Seveso 3 must reform the regulation of these sites for 2015, including more stringent inspection and safety facilities and strengthening the obligation to inform the public, to be in line with the Aarhus Convention on access to environmental information. Section 7 of this release also states that "all schools must have a policy of prevention of major accidents proportionate to the dangers." Operators will now transmit to the authorities their policy to prevent major accidents, which will be updated "at least once every five years." The information should also include the neighboring settlements to avoid the domino effect. To limit this effect, the competent authorities shall identify on their side "institutions whose proximity is that it increases the consequences of a major accident," the goal is to "ensure the exchange of information between operators and neighboring establishments, including those not covered by the directive. " Institutions most "at risk" should plan emergency and public consultation on these plans according to the principles of the Aarhus Convention. Article 22 also allows the public and NGOs to complain if the disclosure requirement is not met by the company.
