Two months of consultation on the “right bank” project of the Vidourle

Le comité syndical de l’EPTB s’est réuni dernièrement à Boisseron. Midi Libre – JPS

The elected members of the Public Territorial Basin Establishment (EPTB) are embarking on a new stage before launching the colossal project to protect Lunel in Saint-Laurent-d'Aigouze.

Since the end of September, the 3rd Flood Prevention and Action Programme (Papi) for Vidourle (€72.5 million over 5 years, including €53 million in works) has been officially signed by all the financiers (MidiLibre, 26 September). However, the breakdown of the various upcoming projects still has to go through several administrative stages.

Protection of Lunel, Marsillargues and Saint-Laurent-d'Aigouze

This is the case of the major project of this Papi 3 concerning the downstream part of the watershed, on the right bank of the Vidourle. It consists of protecting the inhabitants of Lunel, Marsillargues but also of Saint-Laurent-d’Aigouze (Gard) at the junction with the Tamariguières dam. It is a question of limiting the consequences of a major flood of the river, of the type of that of 2002 by carrying out, among other things, the construction of a new spillway, so-called second-rank dikes and enormous investments in the Marsillargues plain in order to limit the stagnation of water to 3 or 4 days. It had remained 3 weeks in 2002.

200% Deposit Bonus up to €3,000 180% First Deposit Bonus up to $20,000

A consultation lasting two months

Meeting this Thursday, December 19 at the Espace Mistral in Boisseron, the elected representatives of the ten inter-municipalities that are members of the EPTB Vidourle unanimously gave their green light to the launch of mandatory public consultation (*) for any project likely to have an environmental impact such as the one concerning the right bank of the Vidourle. “We have collectively taken the decision to take the greatest care in this public consultation. We want to guarantee calibrated, transparent and organized information”, insisted the president of the EPTB and president of the Pays de Sommières Pierre Martinez.

All observations will be taken into account

In fact, the elected officials mainly validated the process of this consultation. It will take place from February 19, 2025 to April 16. In theory, the public's comments should only concern the hydraulic impacts of the project on the environment and species. However, given the sensitivity of the announced works, particularly for farmers on the 4,000 ha of the Marsillargues plain, the general director of EPTB services Florian Rouquette assured that “all observations will be taken into account because, for us, this is a global project and these possible observations will prepare the public inquiry. »

Two guarantors appointed by the National Commission for Public Debate

In terms of methodology, to guarantee total independence for the consultation, the EPTB called on the National Commission for Public Debate. It appointed two “guarantors”: Rachel Vindry and Pierre-Yves Guihéneuf. Their role is not to give an opinion on the substance but to validate the proper conduct of the consultation.
As soon as this phase of information and public participation is completed, probably in June, the EPTB will be able to initiate the requests for environmental authorizations. At the same time, the institution will ask the prefect to declare the public utility and general interest of the “right bank” project of Papi 3 Vidourle.

(*) A public meeting to launch the consultation will probably take place on February 19, in Marsillargues. Offices will be open in the town halls of Lunel, Marsillargues and Saint-Laurent-d’Aigouze during the two months of consultation and the Papi 3 file is online on the EPTB Vidourle website.