This is a translation of what was covered at the July 3^rd public meeting at Plouray. As you can see the NPCB “Board” have used their time very usefully.  The Board consists of 7 people who have day jobs, all their spare time is used to fight this horror that is trying to be foisted on us. They have received a few criticisms from the “Anglo Saxon “ group suggesting that not enough information is being disseminated; when in fact a great deal is being posted, on the NPCB website. It is in French obviously, but the information is there, some of it translated into English and Dutch as and when time permits.

What I am saying is please be understanding about their efforts. There are more difficult days to come and we need to be cohesive in our efforts. Thank you for your understanding.

Kind regards 

Michael Wenden.

• A short history so far:

8^th April 2008: sale of 152 hectares of farming land by 4 individuals to GED, (subsidiary of GDE, Guy dauphin Environment).
11^th June 2008: deliberation by the municipal council of Plouray opposing the GDE project
22^nd July 2008, deliberation by the municipal council of Plouray to launch a “Carte communale”

Summary of actions (by NPCB committee)
since the beginning of December 2008

Participation in 3 working groups putting together a framework for the development of the “SAGE” (Masterplan) for the rivers Ellé & Laïta.

Participation in working groups concerning waste product management and the the river basins of the rivers Elle, Isole, Laita and other rivers in Brittany.

Organising a public meeting at Rostrenen on 8^th December 2008 at which several elected members of different municipal councils as well as from the CCKB - Communauté de Communes du Kreiz Breizh (Rostrenen area) - and the “Conseils General” de Cotes’d’Armor were present, which led to more deliberations being passed  against the GDE project (CCKB) at the beginning of March.

Contact with recycling professionals to learn more about recycling problems, methods and perspectives of the profession.

Organising a public meeting at Quimperlé on 16^th December 2008 in the presence of numerous elected members of Quimperlé and several municipalities also of  COCOPAQ – Communauté de Communes du Pays de Quimperlé, the president of the SAGE and several other associations.

Intervention by a bailiff on 29^th January 2009 to take note of the resumption of ground drilling by GED (GDE)

Monday 15^th December, summary proceedings at the Administrative Court of Rennes due to the Prefect of Morbihan attacking the municipal decree taken by Mr Morvant to stop the drilling. The decree was rescinded until further deliberation by the tribunal; judgement is awaited mid July.

Participation in work by the communal commission to make an inventory of all wet lands to be integarted in the Plouray “carte communale”.

November/December 2008 was marked by the discovery of illicit dumping in Normandy: Versainville 45,000 tonnes of shreded car waste (RBA) mixed with petroleum products, Soumont-Saint Quentin 15,000 tonnes of RBA and petroleum products. Two sites are identified, many more are suspected. Each time, GDE manoeuvres to be entrusted by the official administration with the responsibility for analysing the waste and deciding on the cleaning up of the site. And, surprisingly, each time, the analyses” show” that the waste is not so very toxic “in the short and medium term” and that it is not so very urgent or necessary for GDE to clean up!

NPCB has produced a DVD of GDE/Trafigura practices for distribution to elected members and decision makers.

22 January 2009: a new Municipal Decree issued by the mayor of Plouray to put back in order the test holes. This has been contested by GED/GDE at the Administrative Tribunal.

Meeting with the Mayors of Guiscriff, Lanvénégen and Berné

Early February: results of the analysis made by the DRIRE at Salaise-sur-Sanne where GDE has a large shredding plant. The results are damning: major dioxin pollution. Both the population and the other industrial sites accuse GDE of not complying with the regulations .

Meeting with Mr. J. Le Nay, MP for the Plouray area

End of February, a new fire at the GDE plant in Salaise-sur-Sanne

18 March 2009: Meeting with the Prefect by 3 members of NPCB accompanied by the Mayor of Plouray. According to the Prefect, no file has been deposited by GDE to date.

Meeting with Msrs P. Pouliquen and Ch. Perron, General Councillors. M. Perron made a statement to the General Council on the opposition to the Project by elected members and the general population.

23 March 2009. Following the detection of the presence of dioxins, heavy metals and volatile organic compounds in the fumes generated by the Salaise car shredding plant, the local Préfet proposes to set thresholds for the levels released into the atmosphere. The plant was authorised after a public inquiry which did not take these parameters into account. Once more, the public authorities give way to the industrialist's misdeeds.

25^th March 2009: NPCB testified at the public enquiry on the SAGE (Master plan) for the future management of the Elle Isole Laita. The final SAGE document practically ignores all the demands of the Environmental Groups.

2^nd April 2009: an extra-ordinary general meeting of NPCB was called to adopt the new statutes designed to enable the association to go to court.

4^th April 2009. Meeting at Rocquancourt of the associations which fight existing GDE sites or GDE projects. Two NPCB members were present. Creation of a group of association at national level

Initiatives in co-ordination against GDE with other associations: Association pour le Patrimoine du Pays du Roi Morvan (APPROM) which is preparing the 2009 “pardon” of the Chapelle Saint-Guénin in Plouray, Association Bretonne des Pêcheurs à la Mouche (Breton Fly Fishers' Association) which will be oganising a day long event in Plouray on 13^th September 2009, Ar Gaouenn which has launched a legal action in connection with the project.

Organising of a Fest Noz on25^th April 2009, a great success with 500 attending.

Monthly publication of “CRI DU COB” distributed free in many shops. Next edition will appear mid July.

NPCB joins with the initiative of World Wild Life (WWF) to label the Ellé as “RIVIERE SAUVAGE” (Wild River) for its quality and its environment (official launch at Quimperlé on 22^nd June 2009).

Forthcoming events

6^th September 2009. “Pardon” de Saint-Guénin, the chapel near the proposed site, organised by APPROM, a call to attend in numbers.

13^th September 2009, The Breton Anglers' Association (ABPM) organises a day of workshops, conferences, exhibitions in Plouray in support of NPCB

10^th October 2009, NPCB's next fest noz in Guémené.