The anger is still very strong. On Wednesday, the environmental association Eau et Rivières de Bretagne announced that it would file appeals before the administrative court to request the cancellation of derogations granted in Brittany by the prefects to reduce the spraying distances of pesticides near homes. In France, 25 prefects have signed this decree allowing farmers to halve the protection distance. From five meters to three meters for low crops of the market garden type and from 10 meters to five meters for high crops.
Several associations have strongly criticized this choice of prefects, which concerns in particular the four Breton departments, one of the first agricultural regions of the country. "The appeal was filed concerning Finistère and it is in progress concerning the three other departments", specifies Dominique Le Goux, in charge of the file "pesticides" at Eau et Rivières de Bretagne. On April 23, nine NGOs, including Eau et Rivières, filed two appeals before the Council of State against the exemptions granted in early April by prefects. Members of the government majority also criticized the decision.
"Without any public consultation"
"In the midst of a coronavirus health crisis, without any public consultation or any consultation with environmental associations and user associations, the prefects of the four Breton departments have just reduced the limit for the spreading of pesticides to three and five meters from houses and gardens "Denounces the association.
In recent weeks, in full containment and with reduced traffic, the Breton air quality agency, Air Breizh, had alerted on ammonia emissions in Brittany "which come from pigs, cattle and poultry farms" , according to the organization.
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