Pollution
Humain
Environnement
Economique

In a sugar refinery, a 12-m high retention dike on a sludge basin subsided causing a leak with a discharge rate of a few m³/hr at the junction between the underlying dike and a newer one built on top. The dike was placed under close surveillance due to the presence of a nearby residential development. This zone of single-family dwellings already had to cope with an accidental spill of distillery residue in October 1972 (ARIA 30815). Fire-fighters performed diving missions into the basin in a vain attempt to plug the leak. An earthen embankment was set up on Departmental Highway 930 between Amiens and Saint-Quentin in order to limit the consequences of an eventual dike break. This embankment maintained in place for several weeks prevented traffic on a specific portion of the road. Local authorities required the site operator to lower the water level in the basin, as a means of mitigating the risks, in addition to performing repairs on the structure. On 17 December, the dike was sealed from the outside, by means of a strut support system, and an 800-m³/h pump was placed online to lower the water level inside the high-risk basin.