Overview

For more than 10 years, the City of Ecaussinnes, in Wallonia, has suffered from recurring and massive pellet pollution due to petrochemical build outs in the town. Pellet spills can be traced back to a neighbouring industrial area, where pellets are produced, handled, and transported by large corporations. Despite numerous requests from the city, industries have continued with a business-as-usual approach and even denied being the source of the problem. However, local residents are continuously affected, with reported cases of pellets found for example in agricultural parcels, even for farmers who have switched to organic practices. The environment is directly threatened by this pollution, with pellets found in the Sennette river and water streams around the city, all leading to the North Sea. In cases of heavy rainfalls, this phenomenon only amplifies. It is estimated that a staggering 160 thousand tons of pellets have been leaked in the European Union alone.