Judge Authorizes Re-Opening of Normandy Waste Dump

An appeals court in Caen has nullified the verdict of a lower court and has ordered the “definitive” reopening of the waste dump in Nonant-Le-Pin, according to French news sources. The waste dump, about an hour south of Deauville in the heart of Norman horse country, has been the subject of intense dispute, protests and court battles for over a year. Operated by global conglomerate Guy Dauphin Environnement, the dump could now see up to 17 years of dumping of auto parts and other industrial wastes. It is expected to open before the summer. In May, 2014, a lower court in Argentan fined GDE and ordered the site closed for the dumping of 1,856 tons of illegal products, according to the website Ouest-France, but Wednesday’s decision at the appeals level has overruled that verdict. The environmental group Sauvegarde des Terres d’Elevage issued a statement which read, in part: “The judgement of the Court of Appeals in Caen is totally unfair because GDE acknowledged its infraction, both at the hearing and in their writings. It is thus beyond incomprehensible that the court acquitted the accused, who admit to being guilty of the charges against them.” The group said that an appeal will be filed immediately and that they had sent a letter to the prefect, Isabelle David, asking her to order the closure of the GDE on the grounds that the project is “totally incompatible with the environment and surrounding activities,” among other things.