Dozens of vegetable gardens near the Chemours factory in Dordrecht are contaminated with PFOA, a type of PFAS, and cleaning them will cost between €25 million and €50 million, a cost the company has agreed to cover.
In short:
- The cleanup effort will involve 1,300 locations where soil contamination makes homegrown produce unsafe to eat.
- A pilot project has begun in three towns, replacing 50 cm of polluted soil with clean soil to test remediation methods.
- The Dutch public health institute (RIVM) previously warned against eating produce from gardens within a kilometer of the factory due to high PFAS levels.
Why this matters:
The Dutch city of Dordrecht has become a case study in the cost of PFAS contamination. For years, emissions from the Chemours plant released chemicals into the surrounding environment, leading to widespread pollution and health concerns. Now, after intense public pressure, the company has pledged to help fund cleanup efforts — a rare concession in an industry often reluctant to accept financial responsibility.
Yet for many residents, the damage has already been done. PFAS contamination is notoriously difficult to remediate, often requiring extensive soil excavation, water treatment, and long-term monitoring. Even when companies step up to pay for some of the cleanup, the lingering question remains: How do you truly get rid of chemicals designed to last forever?
Learn more: Dutch MPs rally for health over profit in Chemours PFAS dispute
