600 inspection visits were conducted including 1

Five years after the accident at the AZF plant in Toulouse, the Ministry of ecology and sustainable development issues for the first time a review of the controls carried out on classified facilities, or, at end of 2005, about mental institutions comprising at least a facility subject to administrative authorization. Among them are 1,213 institutions so-called "seveso", the name of the small town Italian victim of an accident to the dioxin just thirty years ago, 7.065 sites falling under the European directive, IPPC (integrated pollution prevention and reduction), which chalked farms of large size, smaller 21.500 and 5.320 careers. Last year, close to 28.600 inspection visits were conducted, including 1.840 complaints and 450 after episodes of pollution. The administration has made a commitment to visit each of 2.000 sites considered as representing the highest risk and to visit all three years in the 8,000 plants at least risk.

For all classified installations, 3,500 remains and sanctions were decided, against more than 3.200 last year. According to the rules of the Seveso directive, all sites conducted a new study of danger. In total, six years, 1,700 studies were carried out, leading to 170 programs for improved security, prevention of leaks and fires, protection of the storage of dangerous products.

More transparency

In addition, 400 expertise by third parties were requested. In contrast, about 7.600 classified establishments IPPC, forced by the European directive to renew their industrial permissions by October 30, 2007, have the desire to be. To date, only 804 reviews were provided to the administration and 625 reviewed permissions!

Similarly, the Act on industrial risk soon to be implemented in its entirety. Plans for the protection of technological risks (PPRTS) on the main hazardous sites are expected to limit the exposure of the population. They will notably create a right of abandonment for the neighbours of the most dangerous sites, industry, State and local communities to purchase their homes in the most serious cases. The Government believes that it is necessary to achieve 421 PPRTS 900 communes. So far, 124 plan was initiated, and 100 local committees of information and consultation on the risks have been created. In General, the intention is to introduce greater transparency in relations with industry and the population. A French register of pollutant emissions has been put online on the Web and allows, as in the United States to view rankings by region, by operator or pollutant.

Administration sets general targets, publishes key figures and makes public the follow-up.

Inadequacy of the workforce

According to our information, it would be expected the next year the recruitment of only 10 inspectors of classified installations. At the time of the explosion of AZF, which caused the death of 30 people, the political class had recognized the inadequacy of staff monitors the 1.249 classified industrial installations high threshold and low threshold. Services were then 870 inspectors responsible for ensuring regulatory compliance. They are now 1.142 agents in full-time equivalent, including 845 in regional industry, research and the environment and 220 directorates in the departmental directorates of veterinary services (DDSV), responsible for monitoring the large farms.