Does a gold foundry have its place in an urban environment? For the neighbors and the Minister of the Environment, the answer is no. In Antwerp, Value Trading must close its doors.
Externally, it looks like an office building. In reality, it is a chemical factory in which dangerous substances are handled, worry the residents. Near the Central Station, in the heart of the Jewish quarter, Value Trading, which took over from Tony Goetz, has been processing up to 200 kilos of gold per day for many years…
Externally, it looks like an office building. In reality, it is a chemical factory in which dangerous substances are handled, worry the residents. Near the Central Station, in the heart of the Jewish quarter, Value Trading, which took over from Tony Goetz, has been processing up to 200 kilos of gold per day for many years and must regularly reassure residents who are multiplying the demonstrations. demanding his departure. In support of their approach, the latter advance, without however being able to establish a direct causal link, the “abnormally high” number of cancers observed in the vicinity. They also accuse the company of being responsible for skin or respiratory problems as well as concentration defects in children. Thus called into question, Value Trading claims to respect all the parameters required by the authorities. Its emissions are regularly checked by SGS, the world leader in inspection and control. The reports of these measures are available for consultation in its offices, by appointment, she maintains. But all the bridges seem to be broken. The application for renewal of the environmental permit submitted in June 2021 by Value Trading has indeed given rise to nearly 2,000 notices of opposition. At the beginning of the year, however, the permanent deputation granted a permit valid for three years accompanied by an invitation to move. Furious, the local residents appealed so that the file ended up on the desk of the Minister of the Environment, Zuhal Demir, who, despite the positive opinions issued by other public institutions, has just ordered the closure . “The minister lets herself be guided by opinion rather than facts,” laments the company, which is actively seeking the parade.
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