Charleroi (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Aries Consultants investigated “alarming” PFAS forever chemical levels in the Tic-Tic stream during their study for Brussels-Charleroi Airport’s operating permit renewal, according to Ecolo party reports from Saturday.
Ecolo confirms that the Tic-Tic stream travels south of the airport through residential zones and converges into the Lodelinsart tributary, which feeds the Sambre River. Airport personnel have been employing the waterway to let sewage waste stream flow from domestic operations for multiple years, but the wastewater travels to a purification station located downstream. The stream water exhibits PFAS levels that exceed the safety thresholds established by the European Union sevenfold.
“After the contamination of the Tintia stream, another watercourse near the airport now shows significant PFAS pollution. It is inconceivable that the airport’s requested permit could be granted while considerable evidence suggests that substantial pollution persists in this area,”
Lamented Ecolo MP Bénédicte Linard.
In light of this situation, Ecolo is calling for appropriate health measures for residents and farmers, as well as transparent communication on the matter.
“It is crucial that the polluter pays principle is enforced and that the responsibility for this pollution is clearly identified and assumed,”
Added Linard, who plans to question Walloon Environment Minister Yves Coppieters about the issue in the regional parliament.
In mid-February, Coppieters had already assured that
“numerous actions were planned to improve the quality of the airport’s discharges.”
What is the background of PFAS pollution near Charleroi Airport?
PFAS represent synthetic chemicals that continue to be present in the environment because they demonstrate resistance against heat, water, and oil in industrial applications. European Union authorities have established rigorous regulatory boundaries because PFAS do not degrade in the environment while also posing health risks.
PFAS chemicals were discovered recently in the Tic-Tic stream, which flows near Brussels South Charleroi Airport, after researchers detected the same pollutants in the Tintia stream before this discovery. The Tic-Tic stream, together with the Tintia stream, belongs to a waterway system that converges into the Sambre River.
The airport has operated for numerous years by discharging wastewater from domestic sources into these river streams, which creates concerns about future environmental and human health effects.
Previous statements by Walloon Environment Minister Yves Coppieters aimed to enhance discharge quality, but recent testing has revealed ongoing industrial pollution problems that remain outside established environmental standards.
