The Mirail incinerator is “the most polluting in France” for its nitrogen oxide emissions

In 2020, waste treatment plant du Mirail, in Toulouse, emitted as much nitrogen oxide “as the three largest French incinerators put together”. This is according to the Toulouse branch of the NGO Zero Waste (Zero waste) after having compiled and compared public reports. She published this Wednesdaythe result of his research.

According to the report, the Mirail incinerator – commissioned in 1969, making it one of the oldest in operation in France – emitted 322 tonnes of nitrogen oxide (NOx) in 2020, i.e. twice more than the second in the ranking, that of Calce in the Pyrénées-Orientales.

Ranked 8th largest incinerator in France, it also broke average NOx concentration records, with 156 mg/Nm3, far ahead of that of Fos-sur-Mer (Bouches-du-Rhône), second in this ranking with 61 mg/ Nm3.

A public debate next week

The “discovery” of these figures, from official reports, was “a shock”, says Thomas Guilpain, the administrator of Zero Waste Toulouse. He underlines that it does not only pose a health problem but also illustrates “a lack of political will to tackle the production of waste”.

This report, which caused the opposition to react on social networks, does not come about by chance: the mixed union Decoset, manager of the plant, aware of the aging of the installation, has decided to open a public debate on the future of the site. The latter must take place from Tuesday, September 20 to November 27. With three options on the table: stopping the plant in 2030, renovating or rebuilding it, on site or elsewhere.

In the meantime, Vincent Terrail-Novès, vice-president of Toulouse Métropole and president of Decoset recognizes figures “higher” than other incinerators “new or renovated for the most part”. But he relativizes. “About 80% of nitrogen oxides are produced by car traffic, 7% by residential and we represent 3%,” he says, citing figures from the quality monitoring body. air, ATMO Occitanie. The elected official also recalls that since 2022, Decoset has invested 46 million euros to reduce the quantity of nitrogen oxide emitted.


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