"Fecal pollution from surrounding industrial farms": Greenpeace and a group of associations warn of the danger of contaminated water in Finistère

The collective "Stop the Avel Vor extension", which brings together the NGO Greenpeace France and the associations Eau et Rivières de Bretagne, Avenir et Environnement en Pays d'Iroise (AEPI) and the Association for the Protection and Promotion of the Côte des Légendes (APPCL), warns about the "alarming" pollution of the waters of Finistère . "Faced with the overwhelming results of independent water analyses carried out on Penfoul beach in Landunvez, bacteriological analyses reveal worrying contamination of bathing water by pathogenic bacteria" , announces a press release published Friday, May 16.

The four organizations revealed that traces of Escherichia coli, salmonella, and staphylococci were detected. These pathogens can "cause serious infections, particularly in children, pregnant women, the elderly, and immunocompromised people," they summarize. However, the collective has little doubt about the origin of this contamination: "Given the proximity of industrial farms that practice manure spreading, it would most likely be linked to fecal pollution from surrounding industrial farms."

"Let's stop the Avel Vor expansion" thus reminds us that the omnipresence of factory farms and "their density in the territories" generates massive pollution of the soil, air, and water in Finistère. Greenpeace France notably published a map in May 2023, which confirms that "nearly 70% of these factory farms" in France are concentrated in the Brittany region, as well as in the Pays de la Loire region. Finistère alone is home to 445 sites on its territory.

This is why the collective is demanding immediate action from health authorities. Jean François Julliard, Director General of Greenpeace France, Laurent Le Berre, President of APPCL, and Arnaud Clugery, Director and Spokesperson for Eau et Rivières de Bretagne, co-signed an open letter sent to Agnès Pannier-Runacher, Minister for Ecological Transition , Élise Noguera, Director General of the Brittany Regional Health Agency, and Yannick Neuder, Minister for Health and Access to Healthcare.

They are calling for the creation of new official measures: a "Penfoul fond" point, which would cover the pool "where mainly young children, the elderly and pregnant women bathe" , and a "Penfoul océan" point, intended to "inform surfers, bodyboarders and bathers in dynamic areas about the quality of the water" . The group is also calling for the search for pathogenic bacteria (salmonella, staphylococci) to be systematic "during any episode of fecal pollution" .

This alert comes as the so-called "PPL Duplomb" bill – which aims to lift restrictions on farming – has been under review since Tuesday, May 13, by the Economic Affairs Committee of the National Assembly. "The law aims to facilitate the establishment and expansion of industrial farms, without systematic environmental assessment and by reducing public consultation," the members of the collective criticize.

The four organizations are calling on MPs to reject Article 3, which attacks the environmental code , which will be debated during the week of May 26. "The adoption of such a law would be an irresponsible act, ignoring proven health and environmental risks and flouting citizens' right to information and participation," they worry. The collective is therefore trying to prevent industrial considerations from taking precedence over public safety and environmental protection.