Chemours will pay to cleanup PFAS polluted vegetable gardens in Dordrecht

Dordrecht-based chemical company Chemours will pay for the clean-up of nearby vegetable gardens contaminated with PFAS. This is the first concrete step that Chemours is taking after the court ruled in September that the company is liable for the damage caused by PFAS emissions at least between 1984 and 1998. This was an interim judgment in the proceedings brought by the municipalities of Dordrecht, Papendrecht, Sliedrecht and Molenlanden.

Chemours promised to take concrete measures for the surrounding area after the ruling. These include, above all, measures to clean up the environment. The chemical company has been discussing this with the four affected municipalities over the past few months.

The first measure is to tackle the residents' vegetable gardens. In 2022, the RIVM advised against eating anything from vegetable gardens within one kilometer of Chemours, as the plants contain too many harmful substances. For gardens that are a little further away, it is recommended to only eat from them to a limited extent.

Initially, the soil in some vegetable gardens will be replaced. Based on the knowledge gained during this pilot phase, other contaminated vegetable gardens in the affected communities will be considered. Chemours will cover the costs of this first step, said a spokesperson. However, the exact amount is not yet known.

Chemours and the four municipalities have also agreed to tackle the Merwelanden recreational lake. The lake in Dordrecht has had a negative swimming recommendation since last year because the PFAS levels are too high and potentially dangerous. "We will take additional samples here at various times to get an idea of the situation," said the spokesperson. The aim is to clean the water so that it is suitable for swimming again.

“Chemours and the municipalities continue to discuss in good faith the specific terms to resolve their legal dispute,” the company said.