Successful remediation and sustainable redevelopment of the Metaleurop site
The closure of the Metaleurop Nord plant in France's Pas-de-Calais left behind one of the most heavily-polluted sites in Europe. Through SUEZ know-how in decontamination and waste management, the project moved to another level with the installation of environmental activities on the redeveloped site.
The mission
Decontamination and redevelopment of a severely polluted industrial site
The Metaleurop Nord foundry in Noyelles-Godault (62) was closed in 2003. The closure had serious economic, social and environmental consequences, with a whole region being affected.Â
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The site was one of the most heavily polluted in France, with tonnes of lead, zinc and hydrocarbons polluting the soil. In total, 50 hectares of Seveso 2 class land was contaminated, with serious health risks.Â
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At the request of public and local authorities, SUEZ undertook to ensure the sustainable redevelopment of this land through a totally original project: the site would be dismantled and fully decontaminated, before being redeveloped for use by environmental businesses.
Our solutions
A sustainable redevelopment, environmentally sound and respecting the population
Soil remediation is an area of expertise at SUEZ. Â But not the only one. To take the project further, the AGORA rehabilitation project required a bigger-picture view to ensure the sustainable redevelopment of the industrial site. To achieve this, SUEZ opted to work in three different phases:Â
- Safety work and preparation started in early 2004, with a detailed risk analysis and the creation of a project team
- Between 2004 and 2006, the site was cleaned up, involving major work in dismantling buildings and decontaminating the soil. 190,000 tonnes of waste were removed from the site
- The zone underwent economic redevelopment between 2006 and 2009, with the creation of two business parks devoted to tertiary and industrial activities, all environmentally-orientedÂ
Eco-cluster, a benchmark for decontamination and waste management of all varieties
Many leading-edge services are proposed by highly-trained teams, including an industrial waste collection and sorting centre, a multi-modal platform for polluted soil management, a medical waste transfer station and a physical-chemical processing centre for industrial effluents.
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AGORA, to promote cultural and environmental values
Cultural organisations and social economy proponents work alongside a resource and training centre focusing on sustainable development occupations.Â
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The results
An original redevelopment that preserves the environment and the region's economic fabric
The Eco-cluster and Agora form a bond that is unique in France in terms of its size and the array of environmental skills proposed. The redevelopment of the site overseen by SUEZ generated a social and economic dynamic that greatly benefited the mining region.