Hundreds of protesters march in Dordrecht against Chemours over PFAS emissions

Hundreds of people participated in a protest march against Chemours in Dordrecht. They want the chemical factory, located along the Beneden-Merwede river, to stop emitting PFAS. The protesters walked from the Oranjepark in Dordrecht via the De Staart district to the Baanhoekweg where Chemours is located.

In Dordrecht. STOP PFAS CHEMOURSMARS 🔥💚 pic.twitter.com/5J9FwoB9h5

— Tessa (⧖) - uit Gouda 🍋🇺🇦🍉 (@3rdTryTessa) June 15, 2024

The activists, including national and regional politicians from GroenLinks, PvdA, SP, Volt and Party for the Animals, shouted slogans such as 'What do we want? PFAS-free!' and 'Zero out of the pipe'. They also carried numerous banners. Furthermore, there was a large Greenpeace banner in front of the gate of the Chemours factory with the text 'We want clean air.' Scientist Rebellion acitivists also joined the Dordrecht residents in the protest march and claimed on X that Chemours is the biggest source of PFAS pollution in the Netherlands. The action then continued in a nearby park, where speeches were held. The police watched from a distance.

STOP PFAS CHEMOURSMars. Today we joined the residents of Dordrecht in a march to the Chemours factory - the biggest source of PFAS pollution in the Netherlands. PFAS, are a class of chemicals commonly used in many products, from non-stick pans to cosmetics and food-packaging 1/4 pic.twitter.com/T19qqosq03

— Scientist Rebellion Netherlands (@SR_Netherlands) June 15, 2024

Earlier in the day, local residents had emptied buckets of contaminated soil and water in front of the factory gate for the 219th time. They have been doing this every Saturday morning for years.

"Chemours is doing everything it can to make as much money as possible at all costs," the organization of the protest march said. "Health plays no role in this. And they pull out all the stops: not providing transparent information to governments, not taking responsibility for the consequences of their actions."

The activists want Chemours to stop all discharges, clean up the pollution it has caused, and pay all costs for health research and water treatment. They also believe that the company should compensate local residents who have suffered damage from PFAS emissions.

Before the march, Chemours said in a statement: "We listen to the opinions and concerns that people express about our factory. This is done not only through demonstrations but also in direct contact. And we are always open to a conversation," the chemical factory said. "The conversations show that we ultimately share the same goal: reducing our emissions as far as possible."

The factory has been in Dordrecht since the 1960s, previously under DuPont. For years, the company emitted large quantities of substances that fall under the collective name PFAS. Some of these are dangerous to people and the environment. Chemours says it has significantly reduced emissions in recent years. According to the company, it produces "essential materials" responsibly, including for medical care and the energy transition.