Concern over proposed Luxembourg yogurt plant

According to the group, comments on the project were being accepted until August 10, which natur & ëmwelt said was unfortunate given that it was during the summer holidays.

The group said it was concerned that the facility, if constructed, would allegedly use the same amount of drinking water as a small town of 18,000 people, the equivalent of 22m liters a day to produce 80,000 tons of yogurt annually at the plant. It also questioned wastewater discharge into the neighboring Alzette River.

In addition to the water consumption, the organization said wastewater from the equivalent of a 100,000-inhabitant city would allegedly occur during production. It said that while a new sewage treatment plant is to be built, no studies have been carried out into the ecological consequences of discharging into the Alzette.

Laurent Zeimet, mayor of Bettembourg, told the paperjam publication that he agreed the consumption of water and the question of wastewater pose the largest problems, with possible repercussions on the Alzette.  In the same interview, he also questioned why the land was sold to the company before any proceedings started.

Concerns were also raised about an increase in traffic at the proposed site, which would create around 300 jobs. The neighboring community of Dudelange has come out in favor of the proposed plant.

DairyReporter approached FAGE for comment on the situation but did not receive a reply.