Réindustrialisation Fos Berre : adapter la surveillance de la qualité de l’air est impératif !

The industrial landscape of the Fos-Berre region, a cornerstone of the French economy and a vital hub for petrochemical and logistics activity, is currently undergoing a massive transformation. As France pushes for the "re-industrialization" and "decarbonization" of this zone—aiming to secure national autonomy in energy and materials—a coalition of environmental and public health advocacy groups has raised urgent alarms. These organizations argue that the current framework for monitoring air quality is fundamentally inadequate, potentially leaving local populations exposed to significant, undocumented health risks.

At the heart of the controversy is a fundamental mismatch between the scale of planned industrial expansion and the sophistication of the region’s environmental surveillance infrastructure. As billions of euros are funneled into new facilities, residents and observers are questioning whether the regulatory oversight is being scaled proportionately to the heightened industrial activity.

A Shrinking Network in a Growing Industrial Hub

The critique centers on a significant degradation of the local measurement network over the past decade and a half. Data provided by the coalition of concerned associations reveals that between 2011 and 2025, the region saw the closure of 24 fixed air quality monitoring stations. This reduction is particularly concerning in the western portion of the department, which remains the epicenter of industrial concentration and the primary site for upcoming infrastructure projects.

Beyond the sheer number of stations, the technical capabilities of the existing network are under fire. The monitoring of fine and ultra-fine particulate matter—particles now widely recognized by the scientific community as the most dangerous due to their ability to penetrate deep into the bloodstream and lungs—remains severely limited. Furthermore, there is a distinct lack of permanent, specialized tracking for substances of high concern, such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and heavy metals like cadmium. These substances are known to accumulate in the environment and human tissues, yet they remain largely outside the scope of current, localized real-time surveillance.

The Credibility Gap in Health Studies

The tension between industrial growth and public health is further exacerbated by the apparent disconnect between official communications and independent findings. Public authorities often cite large-scale studies to reassure the public; however, critics point out that these studies suffer from significant methodological limitations.

Specifically, the "SCENARI 2" assessment is criticized for relying on theoretical risks derived from emission averages provided by the industries themselves. This approach ignores the lived reality of residents, failing to account for their actual health status or the cumulative impact of daily life in the industrial zone. Similarly, the "REVELA 13" study, which focuses on specific cancers such as those of the kidney and bladder, is viewed by many as too narrow to provide a comprehensive picture of the environmental-industrial link.

The "Bassin Industriels et Santé" study conducted by Santé Publique France, while more targeted, is limited to a narrow scope of respiratory pathologies. Meanwhile, researchers and community groups are calling for the inclusion of indicators that are currently being ignored: neurodegenerative diseases, pancreatic and respiratory cancers, cardiovascular health, and cognitive development. The exclusion of these factors from official assessments is, according to the signatory associations, an omission that renders the current health diagnostic incomplete and misleading.

Chronology of Discontent

The history of this friction can be traced through a series of key events:

• 2011–2025: A systematic consolidation and reduction of the regional air monitoring network, resulting in the closure of 24 stations.
• March 24, 2026: A formal letter is addressed to the Regional Prefect by the coalition, demanding a review of the surveillance protocols in light of the new industrial projects.
• May 6, 2026: European Parliament Member Nora Mebarek intervenes, formally requesting clarification from regional authorities regarding the health impact assessments of the industrial expansion.
• Present Day: Continued silence from regional authorities has fueled the coalition’s demand for a "One Health" approach—an integrated strategy that recognizes the interdependence of human, animal, and environmental health.

The "One Health" Argument and Scientific Implications

The call for a "One Health" approach is not merely ideological; it is rooted in current environmental science. The coalition emphasizes that the risks of bioaccumulation, the impact of the "exposome" (the measure of all the exposures of an individual in a lifetime), and potential zoonotic diseases resulting from biodiversity loss are inextricably linked to the industrial output of the Fos-Berre zone.

Current regulatory practices often rely on "annual mean concentrations" to describe air quality. However, experts and the coalition argue that these averages create a "smoothing effect," masking the reality of peak exposure events. Short-term, high-intensity exposure to pollutants can trigger acute health events, yet these are often invisible in reports that only highlight yearly averages.

Independent research, including studies from the University of Montpellier and the journal Science, has increasingly linked atmospheric pollutants to cognitive decline and neurological disorders. Despite this growing body of evidence, the current monitoring framework in the Fos-Berre region does not capture the data necessary to evaluate the synergistic or cumulative effects of these pollutants on the human nervous system.

Official Responses and the Standoff

The lack of response from the regional prefecture to the letters from both the advocacy coalition and MEP Nora Mebarek has created a vacuum of trust. In the context of a "virtuous" re-industrialization, the coalition argues that transparency is not an optional add-on but a requirement for public legitimacy.

Without high-resolution, continuous, and transparent data, it is impossible for the public to gauge the risks associated with the new industrial projects. Moreover, for vulnerable populations—such as children, the elderly, and those with pre-existing conditions—the lack of reliable, real-time data prevents them from taking necessary protective measures during periods of elevated pollution.

The Path Forward: A Call for Collaborative Governance

The signatory associations, which include major entities like France Nature Environnement PACA and the Association Santé Environnement France, are calling for a fundamental pivot in how the region manages its industrial footprint. They propose the establishment of a permanent, collaborative governance body involving all regional stakeholders.

This body would be tasked with:

1. Re-deploying monitoring infrastructure: Re-opening or upgrading stations to provide granular, continuous data on fine and ultra-fine particles.
2. Expanding the monitoring panel: Including a wider range of chemical markers, such as PFAS, in routine environmental reporting.
3. Adopting integrated health indicators: Moving beyond basic respiratory statistics to monitor broader health impacts, including cognitive and cardiovascular trends.
4. Ensuring radical transparency: Making all raw data accessible to the public and independent researchers to ensure that the "virtuous" nature of the industrial projects can be verified by objective metrics.

As the Fos-Berre zone stands at a crossroads of economic renewal and environmental health, the pressure on the state to bridge this gap between industrial ambition and public safety is mounting. The debate is no longer just about industrial output; it is about the right of the local population to inhabit a space where health data is as transparent as the industrial goals are ambitious. Whether authorities will heed this call for a more rigorous and inclusive surveillance model remains the defining question for the future of the region’s industrial transition.