The Old Port always polluted by the bucket residues that re-entertain their boat

“We, we hull directly there.Residues?Ah well they go to the port.»On the Old Port of Marseille, from the town hall to Fort Saint-Jean, no one hides it: once a year, the boaters clean the hull of their boat on site, while no collection system ortreatment of residues does not exist on this part of the quay.A necessarily polluting activity, notably due to the paintings applied to the underwater part of the boats.Pollutant, and therefore prohibited.For several years, the metropolis, responsible for the management of ports, has been supposed to carry out work to set up the appropriate facilities.In the meantime, she must make sure that boaters do not hide on the spot.But the community is visibly neither nor the other.

In a decree dating from July 16, the state therefore decided to tighten the screw.The prefecture of Bouches-du-Rhône points out "the severity of the attacks on the interests of the environment code linked to the continuation of the fairing activity, resulting in the rejection of contaminating painting in the marine environment".It therefore establishes the suspension of the “fairing of boats of boats, including dry or water cleaning as well as paint work».And enjoins the metropolis to take responsibility to enforce this decree, to the means in particular of guarding.“In the event that the suspension is not respected, continues the prefecture, it may be affixed seals on the installations subject to this decision.»

“Ils sont venus faire les tracés et plus rien»

For Michel Lamberti, president of the Bouches-du-Rhône nautical federation, this decree is not a surprise.“For a year or two, boaters have been suspended. Le préfet fait respecter la loi et c’est normal, le problème se trouve du côté de l’absence de travaux de la part de la métropole».If the decision made this month seems severe, it follows many reminders.

In 2014, the MPM Urban Community (since merged within the metropolis) announced the launch of the second phase of the redevelopment of the Old Port, Pavers and Bodies.The installation of equipment to recover and treat the residues of the fairing of the boats had to be part of it.The request for authorization for work then specified: “It is proposed to take the problem at the base and reduce the risk of contamination of port sediments by fairing waters by subjecting them to pre-processing before a rejection inThe public sanitation network which will be created as part of the semi pedestrianization of the quays of the Old Port. Ce traitement est basé principalement sur un dégrillage, une décantation permettant de séparer les particules lourdes et les hydrocarbures».

But the site stopped on the Quai de Rive-Neuve side in the south, without ever crossing the port for the game between the town hall and the Fort Saint-Jean. “Ils sont venus faire les tracés et depuis, c’est tombé à l’eau», glisse-t-on tout en jeu de mots au Groupe des pêcheurs provençaux et plaisanciers, installé à cet endroit.Never really politically acted, the decision to stop the site seems to have been taken around 2016, against the backdrop of budgetary restrictions.

Visit of the environmental inspector

Since then, the many people have been worried about the question.Except the state, for whom this renovation operation also included an ecological issue.Thus, in January 2018, a first visit by an environmental inspector noted on this part of the port a fairing activity without treatment.In March of the same year, the prefecture sent a letter to the metropolis to ask it to stop this polluting activity.

It will then be necessary to wait more than a year that in June 2019, the metropolis will explain itself to the State on this situation.The Old Port experiences a delay in rehabilitation work, she recognized, but instructions have been transmitted to boaters to go and have their boat in the equipped sectors..Relaunched by the prefecture, it will never deliver the details of the contract with associations which would frame this practice.Contacted by Marsactu, the metropolis did not respond to our requests within the time limits to the publication of this article*.

On the quays, there are few who have in mind the instruction of going to define further. “Jamais entendu ça», assure un vieux membre de la Société des canotiers marseillais."And even if we had been informed, it's impossible.We are hundreds and we all care at the same time. Il n’y aurait pas assez de place», estime-t-on encore au Groupe des pêcheurs provençaux et plaisanciers.In total, four clubs are affected.And not necessarily ready to know the same redevelopment as their neighbors.With the abolition of barriers and their relocation on states, the small identical wooden houses, some now say they are victims of an inequality of treatment.

The metropolis offers provisional solutions

The metropolis ended up responding by granting Marsactu an interview with the President of the Marseille Provence Territory Council.According to Roland Giberti (LR), the project to redevelop the Old Port did not go to the end for several reasons.One of them lies in consultation.“There were some difficulties.Some [nautical clubs, editor's note] were against. Mais on ne peut pas dire que ce soit tombé aux oubliettes», assure-t-il.

Après une réunion à ce sujet en préfecture ce jeudi, le président du conseil de territoire souhaite pour le moment mettre l’accent sur “les solutions provisoires».To finish the season, the clubs proposed the implementation of floating sausages of retention, the use of less harmful paintings and the recovery of solid pollutants.Boats of less than five tonnes, he explains without being able to specify their proportion, will be able to use the fairing area of a neighboring club in the part of the port equipped in fairness area to standards.

Ensuite, la métropole devrait ressortir des cartons son projet de “cuve-cabanon», qui consiste à aménager des cuves hors sol entourées de bardage en bois. “Mais pour cela, il faudrait que l’ABF [Architecte des bâtiments de France, ndlr] revoie sa position», prévient Roland Giberti.In September 2020, a market had been launched for this project for 500,000 euros, assures the president of the territory.Before falling into the water.A new meeting with state services, the metropolis and nautical clubs must be held in the coming days.

*Framed added on 07/22/2021 at 5 p.m.

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