The association Eau et Rivières de Bretagne has been stepping up its actions lately. This time, it is attacking the State, which it accuses of "hijacking" European regulations on the quality of bathing water in Finistère, and filed a complaint to this effect on August 21 with the European Commission.
By considering rain as a cause of pollution, the French state is diverting European regulations. The public not being able to know the state of the water, the absorption of real pollution is not implemented https://t.co/G3145AaHk4 @FNEasso @benoitbronique
- Water and Rivers of Brittany (@Eauetrivieres) August 28, 2020According to the association, the State must regularly analyze the quality of bathing water but "accidental pollution of less than 72 hours can be qualified as" short-term pollution "and not be taken into account in the classification of water from bathing when the cause is clearly identifiable and measures are taken to ensure that this does not happen again ”. However, beach closures in western Finistère "are correlated with the rainfall parameter", according to several Breton associations.
The lack of pollution prevention pointed out
"The trick for the State is to consider the rain as a factor of pollution and to accept the closure of the beaches concerned as a" short-term pollution "without really trying to absorb the cause of these bacteriological pollution", continues Eau et rivières in a press release, recalling that it "does not rain bacteria" and that the rain in the Iroise region "is not a situation that can be described as abnormal".
"By considering the phenomena of rain as causes of pollution, the French State is diverting European regulations", which means that the public is "not in a position to know precisely the state of the water", denounces the association . The consequence of this situation is the lack of pollution prevention, in particular to "force polluting activities to limit the sprinkling of fecal bacteria upstream from bathing sites", underlines Eau et Rivières.
In addition, the quality of bathing water “increases artificially”, while paradoxically it is accompanied by “a high rate of preventive closures”. The association cites the example of a Breton beach closed 36% of the time during the summer period between 2015 and 2017.
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