Credit: CGDIS
In the wake of a fire that broke out in the Gadderscheier industrial zone in Sanem on Wednesday, the Grand Ducal Fire and Rescue Corps (CGDIS) and Luxembourg Ministry for the Environment, Climate and Sustainable Development have reported that firewater has led to the pollution of the Chiers river.
Whilst Luxembourg's firefighters managed to extinguish the fire early Friday morning, they were unable to entirely contain large quantities of firewater which have since infiltrated the Chiers.
Samples collected at several locations by the Water Management Authority and the Automated Monitoring Station in Pétange showed a high concentration of ammonium, suspended solids and a very significant decrease in dissolved oxygen. Such chemicals can be fatal for aquatic life, especially considering current low flow rates in Luxembourg's rivers.
As the pollution extends over the entire length of the Chiers and thus also impacts the quality of the river in Belgium and France, the authorities have warned their counterparts in neighbouring countries in the framework of the international alert plan of the International Commission for the Protection of the Meuse.
The Water Management Administration, in collaboration with the CGDIS, has begun implementing emergency measures to reduce the impact on the ecosystem. In addition, a working group of officers from both bodies will be set up to better manage firewater during large-scale fires in areas of activity or during wildfires, such as those of recent weeks.
