- The death and funeral of former lehendakari Jacques Chirac covered the terrible chemical accident that occurred 80 kilometres from Paris in the city of Rouen: the smell of the company Lubricizol, dedicated to the production of car additives, was set on fire on 26 September, causing pollution that has not yet been measured. Pollution has reached many kilometres of smoke and ash and has affected many farmers who have been banned from using or marketing their produce by the authorities.
On the night of 26 to 27 September, large explosions woke up to the flames of the city of Rouen (about 110,000 inhabitants, advancing along the Seine River 80 kilometres from Paris) and were able to see with horror the great flames: The factory of the company Lubricizol in the city had already exploded. Seveso, from companies with high chemical risk, was ranked by the materials it uses.
Hours later, the prefect of the district announced that the smoke analysis was not particularly toxic, but he asked the inhabitants of thirteen villages in the area, including Rouen, not to leave their homes for a few hours. The 27th didn't open the classes. Although the authorities have denied the seriousness of the accident, many citizens have decided to leave the city of Rouen for at least a few days. To give an example, the French magazine on the left, Lundi Matin, has reported that, being part of its editorial work in Rouen, many of its colleagues have decided to leave with their families and that the newspaper will suffer delays in the coming days.
The contagious black smoke caused by Lubricizol over the coming days and hours has come, driven by the wind, to cities and towns far away, to Belgium.
The farmers in the Rouen region have felt the most about the consequences of pollution, as well as the inhabitants of the area, as the authorities have immediately banned them from selling vegetables, eggs, milk and any outdoor growing products. The newspaper Le Parisien interviewed baserritarras that they have their farms up to 40 kilometers from the factory, as well as people who do not have crops but do vegetable gardens, fruit trees or bees.
Confederation Paysanne (of which the Basque trade union ELB is a member) has offered even more alarming figures: "There are thousands of hectares affected: In the department of Seine Maritime 112 municipalities, 39 in Somme, 40 in Ois and 14 in Aisne".
On 1 October, thousands of citizens took to the streets in Rouen to express their concern and indignation to the authorities.
Among them, numerous images are being disseminated showing the traces of the massive humareda caused by the fire of Lubricizol: