The mineral oils were dumped over seven kilometers in Mayenne by the Constellium factory in Montreuil-Juigné (Maine-et-Loire), near Angers, according to western mail. On Tuesday morning, a walker spotted an iridescent trail floating in the river, the regional newspaper reports.
As soon as they were informed, about fifty firefighters were mobilized to clean the river. In particular, firefighters deployed floating booms to try to stop the spread of contamination and contain it in a limited area, to be recovered by pumping operations.
Despite these operations, the contamination, estimated at two kilometers at noon, spread to seven kilometers at 3:00 p.m., according to firefighters. In the early afternoon, the Maine-et-Loire prefecture indicated that the slick had been contained by 3 p.m.
On the origin of the contamination, Constellium, a metallurgical company with 250 employees that manufactures aluminum products, indicated that it carried out an internal investigation and verified “the presence of oil-laden water” at its site. “Some of it had been dumped into the nearby Mayenne River,” he explained.
According to Le Courrier de l’Ouest, the incident is related to a malfunction of the site’s water treatment plant. “Constellium will take, in agreement with the local authorities, all the opportune measures to avoid an environmental impact”, assures the group, according to the statements collected by the regional newspaper.
The Regional Health Agency (ARS) clarified that “this contamination does not imply any risk for the consumption of drinking water.” However, nautical activities, recreational fishing or swimming have been suspended as a precaution in Montreuil-Juigné, Cantenay-Épinard and Angers.
“Prolonged exposure could actually induce skin and digestive irritation,” explains the ARS, which recommends “careful washing with soap” in case of “accidental contact.” The iridescence may still be visible on the surface beyond Mayenne, particularly in Maine, even after the end of pumping operations.
Source: BFM TV
