Infrastructure and Water Management Minister Mark Harbers continues to crack down on the dumping of chemicals such as PFAS. Revocation of permits and other legal steps such as holding US group 3M liable do not exclude Harbers from “any of them.”
This is what the minister says in BNR’s Big Five. The problem with materials like PFAS is that after measures are taken, it will take years for them to disappear from the water. This ‘garbage from the past’, according to Harbers, ‘needs decades to break down. No one on earth can speed it up.
Responsible
This week, the Dutch state held the US company 3M liable for years of PFAS dumping in the Western Scheldt. The PFAS substance is used to make products greasy and water repellent. Minister Harbers points out that the PFAS generates concern among local residents and financial damage to fishermen and the Rijkswaterstaat, for example. ‘I think the polluter should pay, not users and operators. Holding 3M accountable is in line with that starting point.’
While removing previously discharged chemicals is complicated, the minister points out that much can be done to prevent new pollution. “We have to make sure that you have taken all measures to prevent new pollution from being added, that you can clean up the pollution and that you also make sure that no new substances are discharged that do not belong in the water.”
Listen to the entire episode of BNR’s Big Five
Source: BNR
Fernando Dowling is an author and political journalist who writes for 24 News Globe. He has a deep understanding of the political landscape and a passion for analyzing the latest political trends and news.
