The afternoon began with a welcome address by Koen Surdiacourt, Deputy Governor of West Flanders. This was followed by Nele Desplenter from the Marine Environment Department, who provided an overview of the general framework of the Paardenmarkt and the BNIP.
The risks associated with the site were thoroughly explained. Tom Eerlings from Defence spoke about the minimal but present risk of explosion, while Nele Desplenter elaborated on the spread of contaminated sediment and the environmental risks. Ludovic Lepers from the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (RBINS) presented, in English, the modelling and cross-border effects. Katrien Gielen from the Federal Public Service for Public Health addressed the health risks, and Koen Parmentier from ECOCHEM discussed sampling and analysis.
Anne Martens (Emergency Planning Service) outlined the evacuation plan, followed by Marc Delanghe (Fire Service Zone 1) who spoke about the organisation of the intervention area. Saskia Vanhove (Emergency Planning Service) concluded this section with a presentation on public communication.
The session ended with an interactive Q&A, moderated by Maud Oeyen from the Marine Environment Department. The panel consisted of representatives from the involved services and institutions.
The Paardenmarkt site, where munitions were dumped following the First World War, has been closely monitored for many years. Since 2018, traces of leaking substances have been detected, prompting a reassessment of the management approach. The new action plan for 2024–2028, developed by the Marine Environment Department, proposes an integrated strategy focused on risk identification, monitoring, and potential interventions.
The information session highlighted the importance of collaboration between scientific institutions, government agencies, and emergency services in developing a well-supported and effective policy for this unique and sensitive location.
