On Thursday, the government of Wallonia adopted procedures to deal with the 155,000 tonnes of waste resulting from the floods last July.
The refuse, which is currently being collected beside the A601 motorway to the north of Liège, will be processed using various methods in respect of the environment, Céline Tellier - Wallonian Environment Minister - announced.
"The government has analysed all possible waste management options to find the most pragmatic and efficient solution - both from an environmental and socio-economic perspective - to deal with the more than 150,000 tonnes of waste caused by the floods," the minister wrote in a press release.
"Daily reports from the Wallonian Intercommunal Conference for Waste Management (COPIDEC) to the Environment Minister show that the management of waste from the floods is generally under control by the various concerned bodies," Tellier added.
According to the most recent figures given by COPIDEC, household and professional waste from the floods are together estimated at weighing a minimum of 155,000 tonnes. This does not account for the earth that was swept out of place by the water, nor the waste still present on waterways.
However, the total waste may well grow as cleaning operations and the clearing of affected sites continue. At present, around 10% of the waste collected has been processed (incineration or landfill) or pre-treated (recycling or crushing).
Operational decisions are now being taken regarding the remaining waste with two large-scale temporary collection sites needing to be rapidly created.
The Brussels Times
