State Secretary Jansen of Public Transport and Environment cannot assure residents near the Chemours plant in Dordrecht of a national PFAS ban. He prefers a European ban, which is not imminent.
Local residents and municipalities express disappointment. Jansen met with them today in Dordrecht, stating, “I can only offer support and explain our current efforts.” He acknowledges dwindling patience but believes a European ban would be more effective than a national one.
Joop Keesmaat from the Stop PFAS Action Group urges immediate action, expressing frustration over repeated delays. Dordrecht councilor Tanja de Jonge insists on a national ban, warning of ongoing pollution issues without it.
Jansen plans to allocate more funds for PFAS emissions control, which De Jonge supports, citing insufficient current monitoring. Residents have protested against Chemours for years, with nearly 3,000 filing complaints last year, citing health damage.
A month ago, Jansen informed the Dutch Parliament that companies emitting PFAS must drastically reduce emissions. Zembla reported last June that Chemours had long been aware of the contamination but failed to act.
Source: NOS