The Administrative Court of Rennes, seized by the Eau et Rivières de Bretagne association, recognized Thursday, March 13 “That the measures implemented by the prefect of the Brittany region are insufficient to combat the stranding of green algae on the Breton coast”.
Seized of two appeals filed by the association, the court “Injoin the region’s prefect [de] Brittany to take within ten months every useful measures likely to repair the ecological damage resulting from water pollution by nitrates of agricultural origin ”. The prefect will have to acquire “Control tools allowing effective management of the actions carried out”adds the court.
In October 2022, the Eau et Rivières de Bretagne association had filed two appeals against the State, the first asking it to take “All useful measures” For “Pallor the inadequacies of its nitrogen pollution management policy”. The association had asked the court to leave the State a period of one month to act and to impose on it penalty -one million euros per month late.
It was not followed on this point by the court, which estimated in its decision if the prefect must “Complete the plans and programs adopted by any mastery of nitrogen fertilization”,, “There is no need, in the circumstances of the case, to match this injunction of a penalty”.
The proliferation of green algae “at more than 90 % of agricultural origin”
The second appeal was on a request for “Repair of ecological and moral damage”the moral damage being encrypted by the association at 3.2 million euros. The court ordered the State to pay 5,000 euros to water and rivers in Brittany under the moral damage.
“The administrative court recognizes that the measures implemented by the prefect of the Brittany region are insufficient to fight against the strand of green algae on the Breton coast”summarizes the court in a press release.
Since 1971, tons of green algae has laughed every year on the Breton beaches. By rotting, they give off hydrogen sulfide – a deadly gas in the event of exposure to high concentrations.
According to a report by the Court of Auditors of 2021, this proliferation of green algae is “At more than 90 % of agricultural origin” In this region where the use of nitrogen fertilizers has increased sharply from the 1960s, which today has 140,000 jobs in the food industry. France has been at its seventh regional action program since 2010, “With uncertain effects on water quality”according to the Court of Auditors.