The day after the filing of a new building permit for its rock wool factory near Soissons by Rockwool, the Danish insulation giant, the Stop Rockwool association joked on its Facebook page about this new request: “The Rockwool’s communication box once again demonstrates a beautiful inversion of values. Because let’s make no mistake: apart from the health problem linked to the waste that would come out of the Rockwool project’s chimneys, the main problem is employment. Three jobs per hectare and they dare to bludgeon this starving figure again and again and present it as “a valuable contribution to boosting the local economy”?!? » In view of the Danish group’s share price, some people suggest that this fanfare launch of this second building permit is only an element to restore investor confidence.
Stop Rockwool recalls the reasons for being against this project: “Unfavorable opinion of the Investigating Commissioner on the operating authorization, 84% of the opinions expressed during the public inquiry, out of 550 contributions, are Against. 88% of the opinions expressed during public participation electronically for the RTE line are against. 96.6% of the votes cast during the Courmelles citizen consultation were also opposed. 136 doctors, 33 pharmacists, 23 midwives, 85 nurses are mobilized against. 352 teachers mobilized against; 75 farmers mobilized against and 13 municipalities deliberated against. »
In the petition launched against this project, we read: “No, rock wool insulation does not reduce energy consumption, because the energy necessary for the extraction, transport and transformation of rock is 20 times greater than that necessary to produce an ecological and local material such as linen or straw. » Because this industrial project, judged to be very polluting, is opposed to the promotion of production by local farmers of different plant fibers.
Brigitte Fournié-Turquin fiercely opposed
Brigitte Fournié-Turquin, the eco-friendly departmental councilor from Axon, says nothing else and she has no shortage of arguments, including economic arguments, against this project endorsed by Alain Crémont, the mayor of Soissons and the president of GrandSoissons Agglomération. “For the Rockwool rock wool project, the State will give 10.6 million euros for decarbonization, our regional and urban community elected officials will give 4.5 million euros. But we’re not very careful, because making rock wool requires energy, a lot of energy. No matter, we are going to draw an electrical line specifically (at 30% at the expense of consumers). » She also looks towards the water: “It’s water in particular to dilute the binder that we will then evaporate. That’s a lot of water lost: future droughts will lead to usage conflicts with populations. » Brigitte Fournié-Turquin also points out the release of greenhouse gases. “814 tonnes per year, sorry. This project would be in 2nd position among polluting factories in France for phenol, in 3rd position for formaldehyde, and in 6th position for ammonia. With quantities of endocrine disruptors for which the Ministry of Ecological Transition writes that ”the regulations are patchy and insufficient”. » And this, while the Aisne department voted in 2022 for the Charter of territories without endocrine disruptors.
Local farmers highlighted
The departmental elected representative instead imagines a local solution with farmers in order to produce insulating structures for homes. “Our region is very agricultural. Our department and the Region could beneficially grow naturally fibrous products, which do not consume water and little energy, and which are major assets for storing CO2, such as hemp, linen, straw. , etc. These crops would bring very useful diversification to the agricultural world (for example, hemp requires almost no inputs and no pesticides). However, the sector for thermal insulation and construction remains to be built. Insulation manufacturing factories could follow all the more easily as they would be helped by the subsidies which currently go to rock wool. It would be local, with lucrative opportunities for farmers, employment and respect for the environment in the industrial process. »
The false beard of employment
Stop Rockwool and Brigitte Fournié-Turquin unravel the employment perspective, brandished by the Danish giant. The latter puts the figures on the table: “Here again, the account is not there. 130 jobs are announced. However, currently in the activity zone where Rockwool wants to establish itself on 40 hectares, that makes 3 jobs per hectare when the other activities revolve around 20 to 25 jobs per hectare. On this surface, there is therefore a potential of 800 to 1,000 jobs on the surface immobilized by the Roche wool industrialist. »
For the chosen one, there remains only one conclusion. “This project from another time must not be done. Architects will tell you. For example, the city of Paris no longer uses this material at all for its constructions, as I was able to verify. It is towards alternatives that we must turn, otherwise promising in terms of insulation, environment and local jobs. Reindustrialization and energy renovation are here and for a real future that will enhance our territory. »
The fight will continue
Stop Rockwool and Brigitte Fournié-Turquin are determined not to give up in the face of the Rockwool project. Because if the excessive height of the factory was the argument for canceling the first building permit, none of the opponents’ arguments were used. They don’t plan to stop there.
So we haven’t finished talking about it!
