Is PFOS scandal becoming an embarrassment for the political world?
Almost all members of the Flemish government, Antwerp Mayor Bart De Wever and some of his aldermen already received ample information about the PFOS pollution in the Antwerp area four years ago, in 2017. The Flemish government was led by Geert Bourgeois (Flemish nationalist) at that moment. They received this information in connection with the upcoming infrastructure works for the Oosterweel mobility project to make the Antwerp Orbital Road complete. Lantis, the company in charge of the works, had several earth samples taken and analysed and warned that safe levels of the chemical substance PFOS were exceeded in several places. At the same time, politicians were asked to look into the possible pollution in Zwijndrecht, it appears from an e-mail that the VRT news desk got hold of. However, nothing happened with the information. Zwijndrecht is the place where 3M is located, the factory responsible for the pollution.