NPCB is calling upon its members and supporters to join it at the town hall in Plouray on Wednesday 25 March, between 14.00 and 17.00 to record their statements in the public enquiry file, should they not have already done so. The association will make its own statement at that time.

The following paragraphs list the main issues at stake, which can be used a the basis for individual statements.

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We are entirely dependent in our daily life and for our very existence on our water supplies Water flows in abundance in our rivers, Ellé, Isole, Laïta and their tributaries, the excellent quality of which is amply demonstrated by the varied plant and animal life they harbour. This is fortunate for us, and a major asset for the future if we know how to preserve this wealth and its quality.

The purpose of the master plan (SAGE) for the Ellé Isole Laïta is to manage the water resources, limit the risk of flooding, ensure that the rivers and wetlands are kept in good natural condition, guarantee the optimum quality of the water from the upper reaches of the rivers to the sea.

If these targets are to be met, the SAGE must see to it that :

• the wetlands are protected or even restored in certain cases, so they can fully help regulate floods and act as natural filters for pollution,
• the banks and ditches that help slow down the water run off and help it soak into the ground are retained and restored wherever necessary,
• obstacles to fish (particularly salmon and trout) migration and therefore to their  reproduction in our rivers are fitted with fish ladders or adapted to encourage  biodioversity,
• the development of housing estates, roads, small business parks, etc... must fit within an overall scheme designed to limit the consumption of natural or agricultural land,
• where future agricultural or industrial sites are concerned, their size and the type of activity must be assessed with a view to ensuring the protection of water resources.

In this respect, the project for an outsize industrial project in Plouray, at the head of the Ellé Isole Laïta catchment area, on wetlands and a stone's throw from the Ellé, is in complete contradiction with the aims of the SAGE :

We request that the governing authority of the SAGE very closely monitor this type of project and take all the necessary steps to ensure that it will not happen. Indeed, if it were to be authorised, it would jeopardize the very purpose of the SAGE, viz. "the preservation of the ecological functions of the aquatic environment which guarantee the quality of the living environment and of the resources needed for the development of activities within the territory."

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The SAGE file is available for consultation at the town halls of all 38 communes involved and you can record your statements during opening hours through to 2 April.

The investigating commissioner will be available for consultation in the town halls of Quimperlé, Le Faouët and Plouray at the dates below:

Wednesday 25 March 2009 from 9.00 to 12.00 in LE FAOUET

Wednesday 25 March 2009 from 14.00 to 17.00 in PLOURAY

Thursday 02 April 2009 from 14.00 to 17.00 in QUIMPERLE