150 elected officials sign manifesto for clean water.
Water pollution in Loire-Atlantique, with only 1% of its waters classified as being in good ecological condition, has prompted 150 of the department’s elected representatives to take action. They have decided to draw up a manifesto calling for a ban on the use of pesticides in water catchment areas.
To protect the department’s drinking water, 150 elected representatives signed a manifesto on Friday 7 February 2025. The text, presented in the form of a pledge to the Departmental Council yesterday, was unanimously adopted. “In addition to human health and serious damage to the environment (collapse of bird and insect populations, resistance to biocides, proliferation of cyanobacteria and algae, etc.), the protection of drinking water sources raises economic issues”, it reads.
Sandrine Josso, a MoDem MP and signatory of the manifesto, told AFP:
“Politicians need to get a grip on this issue because in many places the environmental health thermometer is in the red.”
The text, presented in the form of a pledge to the Departmental Council yesterday, was unanimously adopted. In addition to human health and serious environmental damage (collapse of bird and insect populations, resistance to biocides, proliferation of cyanobacteria and algae, etc.), it states that “the protection of drinking water catchments raises economic issues”.
The text was signed by elected representatives from a wide range of political backgrounds. It demonstrates the growing concern of local elected representatives, which runs counter to recent proposals at national level.
The manifesto asks whether the problem should not be tackled at source by mobilising funds to support farmers.
Sources (French): TF1Info / Europe1 / OuestFrance
