France Nature Environnement (FNE), an environmental organization in France, has chosen to highlight the case of Saint-Martin-de-Valgualgues, a site near the Mechanical Pole, as part of its national campaign against illegal landfills. During the 2000s, thousands of cubic meters of waste were buried underground at this location, raising concerns about potential environmental contamination. FNE-OCMED, a local branch of the organization, has expressed ongoing worry about the presence of hazardous waste and the lack of a clear legal resolution to the issue. The case was previously reported in the press in the early 2010s, with journalists noting the appearance of metal, plastic, and other waste materials on the surface of a four-hectare site. At the time, the association Clarté et Démocratie criticized the dumping, which was disguised as the construction of a noise barrier to reduce disturbances from the nearby Mechanical Pole. Analysis of debris later confirmed the presence of two types of asbestos—chrysotile and crocidolite—raising further concerns about the site's safety. According to Rémy Coulet of FNE-OCMED, the dumping began in the early 2000s and continued until around 2012. The stated goal was to build a barrier to reduce noise from the Mechanical Pole, but the site was used to dispose of a variety of materials, including rubble, demolition waste, and items containing asbestos. "Thousands of cubic meters of various and diverse waste, including asbestos, were dumped without control and illegally," Coulet said. He noted that no environmental study was conducted before the waste was buried, and the materials were simply covered with soil. Although the site is less visible today due to overgrowth, the shape of the land still shows the presence of a large embankment, some parts of which are several meters high. Fences and gates installed after initial controversy have since been damaged, making the site accessible to the public. The case took a new turn in 2014 with the election of Claude Cerpedes as mayor of Saint-Martin-de-Valgualgues. Cerpedes, a former opposition member, said the new municipal administration became involved in the case shortly after taking office. In November 2014, specialized investigators, including gendarmes from the Central Office for Combating Environmental and Public Health Violations, conducted excavations at the site. According to Cerpedes, the investigations confirmed the presence of asbestos in multiple samples and led to searches at various companies and administrations. One person was placed under formal investigation, and some waste was found to have slight radioactivity. However, the details of the case remain part of a judicial file, and the parties involved have not publicly shared the full process. FNE-OCMED is now focused on the future of the case, particularly the judicial progress. Rémy Coulet noted that Lucile Pialat, a former local council member and plaintiff in the case, has requested copies of the investigation file twice in recent weeks without receiving a response. The file is said to have been sent to the regional environmental branch in Marseille. Mayor Cerpedes has made a new request in 2023 to keep the case active, though he admits he no longer controls the judicial process. He mentioned the possibility of reactivating the case in 2028 if no progress is made by then. FNE-OCMED aims to bring the issue back into public attention more than fifteen years after the initial media reports, not to claim that dumping continues, but to remind people that the buried waste remains a potential environmental risk. The association wants to use the national campaign against illegal landfills to highlight how such sites can continue to pose environmental concerns long after the dumping has stopped.