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Wild dumps, abandoned vehicles, … Damage to the environment is numerous in rural areas. Mayors and magistrates deploy different means to put an end to it.
At first glance, you can’t see them. Rubble in the middle of fields or abandoned cars, wild dumps exceed Roland Morales, the mayor of Recologne (Doubs) who goes to war against the polluters of his village. Waste often stored on private land, but which threatens waterways and surrounding vegetation. The mayor threatens to seize the public prosecutor for environmental offense against a holder of a dozen wrecks, motor oil marks the ground. “You don’t have an explanation to give, are you going to take them off like I told you the other day?“, asks the city councilor to this mechanic who did not want to clean his land.
In the forest, a wild dump is present and the mayor digs through the waste to find clues about their owner. “It’s obviously people who have moved and got rid of“, he concludes. information passed on to the courts. The penalties can be severe confirm the magistrates. “It’s an offense that goes up to three years in prison, it’s about equal to theft”let Natacha know Collotsenior environmental magistrate in Nancy (Meurthe-et-Moselle). That day, she summoned about twenty accused people. All agreed to pick up litter for a day to escape their fine of 1,500 euros. Justice wants to deal with more cases targeting individuals and companies to fight against “polluters’ impunity”.