In Bruz, the homeless of Paris welcomed on a polluted ground? – Reindeer

From September, the town of Bruz, south-west of Rennes, will welcome homeless Parisians. The measure was announced on Monday, May 22
by the deputy general secretary of the prefecture of Ille-et-Vilaine, Matthieu Blet. Problem: according to a report, this land which belongs to the SNCF and on which the mobile homes should be installed is polluted.

Land polluted with hydrocarbons

In 2019, the town hall of Bruz plans to acquire the land in question to build a real estate project there. It therefore orders a field study report from SNCF, the owner. The conclusions are returned to the mayor Philippe Salmon when he takes office. And the result is clear: “the soil is polluted with heavy metals everywhere. There are also areas polluted with hydrocarbons”. A worrying finding: “This will have direct consequences on human health. We know that children will be welcomed. However, they are the most likely to develop serious illnesses in the face of this pollution. One inevitably wonders about the dignity of the reception conditions”.

Another concern of the municipality: the safety of the people welcomed. The land is wedged between the Rennes-Redon railway line and a military barracks. If fences must be installed before the arrival of the Ile-de-France homeless from next September, there are still around thirty trains that pass on these tracks every day. The avenue Jules Tricault road bridge, located just above the ground, is another important axis of passage, which connects two important districts of the city.

Shared concern

The town hall is not the only one to sound the alarm. For Daniel Delaveau, president of the Federation of Brittany Solidarity Actors and former mayor of Rennes: “We are very vigilant about the methods of implementation. It is not enough to install mobile homes in any conditions. You have to respect a minimum of decency with regard to the welcome”.

The Aurore association, operator of the project, also refused, “for the same reason”. She specifies: “Waiting for further studies by the Regional Health Agency on the level of pollution, we are moving to Montgermont”. According to the conclusions of the ARS report, the prefecture could, in fact, change site. This is what Matthieu Blet said during the press conference: “We are working with the ARS to find out if it is possible to set up on the site. We do not rule out changing land if there is land that can be more easily mobilized”.