“It may be a future disaster that must be avoided at all costs,” according to one lawyer

Lawyer Julie Andreu filed a complaint against X for endangering lives on behalf of a collective of unions, parents and associations that help asbestos victims. Dozens of schools in the department were symbolically targeted because of the dilapidation of the buildings.

“We targeted several schools in Bouches-du-Rhône and this is just an example. We could have gone further, and we will see what will happen in this investigation”explained Thursday, November 20 about ICI Provence (formerly France Bleu) lawyer Julie Andreu, who defended the Stop Asbestos in Education collective after its complaint for endangering the lives of others.

This is a first in Bouches-du-Rhône: a collection of unions, parents and associations that help asbestos victims file a complaint against X for endangering the lives of others. The complaint brings together seven unions, four associations, and approximately sixty individuals. A dozen schools, middle schools and high schools in the department were symbolically targeted in the municipalities of Marseille, Vitrolles, Marignane and Hyères. “Given the dilapidation of buildings and structures”, There is “perhaps a future disaster that must be avoided at all costs”, argued Julie Andreu.

This asbestos risk concerns companies built before 1997, the date of the ban on this material which can cause cancer. By filing a complaint, the collective expects a strong response from the authorities. Asbestos is a slow-moving poison. This disease can appear 40 years later. Therefore, the collective wants to act now so that children attending school are protected. “There is an obligation for local authorities, as owners of workplaces, to carry out technical diagnostics of asbestos, include asbestos elements found during the work, and make them available to the occupants”. Gold, “Currently, there is a real failure in this information and communication context”, regretted the lawyer.

“Previously, most of the buildings were built with asbestos materials. Currently, the asbestos elements in the buildings are dilapidated. There is damage to these elements, significant asbestos dust in the buildings”said the lawyer. Nowadays, they are old school, “Where no work is needed. So the ceiling is damaged, the adhesive is coming off, the floor tiles are torn, the walls have holes so the asbestos fibers are released,” he continued. According to the collective, “teachers and students thrive in a somewhat marginalized environment and no amount of action can meet everyone’s expectations”regretted Julie Andreu, who added: “Imagine a parent’s worry when you tell yourself that your child spent a lot of nap time in a room that, overnight, was closed due to degradation and release of asbestos fibers?”