LYON (AFP) – An insecticide prohibited in France was found on the site of the German giant of Basf chemistry in Genay, near Lyon, during an inspection initiated after the intrusion of environmental activists in the factory, the prefecture of the Rhône said on Wednesday.
“The inspection will soon offer the prefect of the Rhône the administrative follow -up to this inspection,” add the state services.
The collective of environmental activists of the “mower and voluntary GMOs” said that it had discovered on June 23 in the premises of BASF “a stock of the pesticide Fastac, prohibited in France, as well as its active substance, alpha-cypermethrin, prohibited throughout the European Union”.
BASF had assured acting “still in accordance with European and national regulations as well as with export laws”, especially in its Genay site.
The Ministry of Ecological Transition had requested an inspection of the site to verify the claims of environmentalists. The control was carried out on June 30 by the inspection of classified installations of the Regional Directorate of Environment, Planning and Housing (DREAL).
“This inspection confirmed the production and presence of phyto-pharmaceutical product stocks + fastac + container of alpha-cypermethrin, intended for export, which is prohibited by the Egalim law,” says the Rhône prefecture.
According to the ministry, this law has prohibited since 2022 “production, storage and traffic in France” of this product. However, the manufacture or import of alpha-cypermethrin alone “for non-phytosanitary purposes (for example biocides or veterinary products), remains possible, subject to compliance with applicable regulations”.
© AFP
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