how the state tracks polluters

Published

FRANCE 2

Article written by

S. Brunn, J. Ababsa, T. Montgellaz, J. Cohen Olivieri, P. Goldmann – France 2

France Televisions

Several town halls try to fight against these mountains of waste which sometimes appear at the exit of the cities. Specialized brigades are responsible for tracking down polluters.

In the middle of the beet fields of Saint-Quentinois (Hauts-de-France), a mound of rubbish is obvious. Two country guards then intervene, not to clean the area, but to look for clues that would allow them to find the perpetrator of the crime. One of them discovers an order form on which appears the name of a company “unfavorably known” authorities. The offender is liable to a fine of 75,000 euros, or even a few months in prison.

It takes a bit of luck to collect evidence in this vast territory of almost 300 square kilometers. Every Monday, the rural wardens make the rounds of the 39 municipalities that they monitor. They include camera traps, “which flash day and night”. Images which can sometimes make it possible to instruct a file. In 2021, the brigade identified 88 wild dumps.


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