Probe launched after construction company dumps sludge in Sonian Forest

Probe launched after construction company dumps sludge in Sonian Forest
Winter light in the Sonian Forest. Credit: GdML/Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

An unidentified company is under investigation after it was caught dumping construction sludge in a UNESCO-protected section of Brussels' Sonian Forest.

Forest rangers made the discovery on Friday in the Reserve of Grippensdele, a UNESCO-listed area, and environment officials at Brussels Environnement are conducting an investigation.

Pascale Hourman, a spokesperson for the regional agency said that the identity of the company could not be unveiled because the investigation was ongoing.

Related News

"At this stage, we cannot give too much information," she said. "An investigation was launched to determine the company's degree of responsibility and to determine whether there will be any sanctions."

The company in question is reportedly active in a construction site in the Terhulpensesteenweg, a lengthy avenue running through the southern municipality of Watermael-Boitsfort.

The Sonian Forest, which sprawls over all three regions of Belgium, is the only one in the country to be inscribed in UNESCO's list primaeval, or old-growth, beech forests in Europe.

Gabriela Galindo

The Brussels Times


Copyright © 2024 The Brussels Times. All Rights Reserved.