Chemin de Gramont, near the new fire station, on the edge of the ring road, the land approached by the municipality for the biomass boiler room to replace the abandoned Borderouge site, in an area that is still little urbanized, is not framed by dwellings . But as soon as you move a few hundred meters away, the residents are there. And the resistance against the project is organized.
A member of Agir pour Croix-daurade, the neighborhood association, and of the Toulouse chauffe collective, born of the dispute over the first site, Roger Kesteloot has already towed in the sector. “As soon as we meet someone, people stop and tell us of their exasperation when they discover that the project has been transferred to us. It does not pass”, assures this local resident who lives 400 meters from the site.
Meeting in early 2023
The building permit for a 158-unit building is displayed on land located a hundred meters away. And Roger Kesteloot fears that the smoke will fly over other existing homes, the Atlanta Avenue housing estates, a future nursery, etc. In the neighborhood, the protest is becoming clearer: an online petition has collected 1,300 signatures and a rally is scheduled for December 10.
As in Borderouge, local residents fear the pollution released by the plant, which will be fueled by wood, plants and agricultural waste. In addition to the insertion in an urban environment, they reject the ecological character itself of the biomass process. “We are being set up this factory when we are being asked to change cars as part of the ZFE.”
During the municipal council of November 9, the opposition stepped up. The majority promised a consultation. A meeting is scheduled for early 2023, the town hall announced yesterday. Elected in charge of public service delegations, Pierre Trautmann had mentioned a commitment by candidate companies to reduce pollutant emissions “below standards.”