Firefighters, environmental police and other emergency services were called to a canal just behind the Ath train station, in Wallonia, on the evening of 12 July following reports of fuel floating in the river and contaminating the surrounding areas, according to Belgian newspaper Sudinfo.
The fuel is said to have originated from a leak in the tank of a barge crossing the city of Ath. Emergency crews assessed the fuel spill in the water, before a boat and clean-up logistics vehicles were mobilised to clean up the pollution.
Firefighters, led by Captain Eric Stasik, removed the oil from the body of water throughout the night using specialised equipment. Shortly after midnight, crews finished cleaning up the contamination.
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Ath’s canals have been polluted for many years In 2011, with former industrial group Floridienne polluted a 300 metre squared area of the canals with a heavy oil, which had to be pumped out of the river by a specialist company and the canal temporarily dammed.
Belgium’s waterways are some of the most polluted in Europe, due to the country’s large chemical industry and other factors. In Wallonia, 13 out of 34 groundwater bodies tested by research were contaminated. These aquifers account for nearly 80% of the region’s drinking water.
