The Industrial Wastes Landfill of "le Bouquis": the Story of a "Junk-Space"

• In Event: Lightning Session II

Abstract

Many studies have highlighted the impact of the urban and the industrial metropolitan metabolism on the hinterlands since the Industrial Revolution and even more during the 'Great Acceleration'. This shift led particularly to an unprecedented amount of wastes, both from domestic consumption and from industrial production, and the creation of 'junk-spaces'. In return, these « anthroposols » affect lastingly inhabitant’s everyday life. Depollution costs are often too high to be borne by local authorities or communities.

This presentation will focus on a landfill used between 1975 and 1980 at Dardilly, a village located 10 kilometers in the North-West of the city of Lyon. In these few years, about 300 000 cubic meters of chemical toxic wastes were tipped and are still there. These industrial wastes not only came from the surrounding of Lyon and its industries but also from a large part of the East of France (from Mulhouse to Lavera). Dardilly’s wasteland is now under the monitoring of the ADEME (Agence de l’Environnement et de la Maîtrise de l’Energie) and its access is forbidden. Although the closure of this landfill occurred in the same years as the Love Canal affair, 'le Bouquis' never became a ‘French Love Canal’.

This paper emphasizes on the impossible remediation of these soils in spite of the inhabitant’s complaints. This is one of the most important consequence that characterized the 'Anthropocene'. Some vulnerable places appeared as convenient ‘ultimate sinks’ for manufacturers. Nowadays people have to live with these nuisances. Finally, this presentation relies on regulatory texts, geological reports of BRGM (Bureau des Recherches Géologiques et Minières), interviews, public reports, and various public archives (from 'établissements classés', Watershed Public Agency, complaints etc.).

Author

• Yann Brunet, Université Lumière Lyon 2