'Egg protest action' in Zwijndrecht: "Many questions remain in PFOS case"
About a hundred people, including many young families, held a protest action late on Tuesday in the aftermath of the PFOS pollution scandal. They used eggs as the symbol of their action, since it has been advised to refrain from eating eggs from your own chickens for residents living close to the M3-factory which caused the pollution with the PFOS chemicals.
The event on Linkeroever - on the west bank of the River Scheldt, close to Antwerp city - was held after a call on social media by four concerned mothers. Protesters were from all age categories, but there were many young families. Many are left with questions: "To which extent has the ground been polluted? And what about the water? To which extent have we, our parents and our children, been poisoned with PFOS?" one participant told the VRT.
The poisonous PFOS chemical is the result of a historic pollution by the 3M factory. High levels were found in samples taken in a wide area around the site.
The case made the headlines during infrastructure works for the Oosterweel mobility project, for which a new tunnel has to be built.
Local residents are angry with the Flemish government because it concerns a long-time pollution. "If you look at the Flemish government's track record in the last 20 years, it turns out that they really want to push ahead with this Oosterweel project," one man said.
A woman told the VRT: "Will the digging works in the polluted area release more chemicals? Can I still eat vegetables from my garden? What about drinking water, can the children still play in the sand... many questions, but few answers."
Participants had painted messages on their eggs to address the government such as "shame on you" or showed posters saying "we are here for our great-great-great-grandchildren."
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