Eight people were taken into custody when environmental activists burst into a French chemicals plant on Saturday to protest the manufacturing of PFAS compounds, or so-called “forever chemicals.”
A representative for the organizers reported that some 300 members of the Extinction Rebellion and Youth for Climate organizations broke through barriers to get to the Arkema plant at the Pierre-Benite factory near Lyon in southeast France.
Once inside they deployed banners and spray-painted graffiti including “PFAS tell the truth” and “Arkema is poisoning us”. Police counted around 150 protesters.
“We want to close to door for the ‘forever chemicals’ that Arkema is dumping into the Rhone river,” Julien, a spokesman for the organisers, told AFP.
“And at the same time, we want to open the door because everything that’s happening here is being done in secret,” he said.
PFAS, Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), are a family of around 4,000 chemical compounds often referred to as “forever chemicals” because of their long lifespans in bodies and the environment. They resist grease, oil, water and heat.
Experts say that exposure to some types of PFAS have been linked to serious health effects.
This week, American officials announced that PFAS-containing materials would no longer be sold to package oily foods like microwave popcorn in the country.
By the end of this year, the Pierre-Benite facility will no longer use PFAS compounds in the production of its goods, according to a statement from Arkema.
Roland Lescure, France’s minister of industry, condemned the demonstration, stating on X that “Yeah, we may disagree and debate. Not destroying, no.”
The demonstration coincided with local opposition to Daikin, a different chemicals company, wanting to establish a new production facility close by.
Regional authorities said: “The new site from Daikin will not lead to PFAS runoffs in the water, unlike the Arkema site which has been subject to a September 2022 decree that calls for halting the use of PFAS surfactants by the end of 2024.”
