Untreated water is continuously flowing into the Rhône River, according to reports from the Tarascon paper mill site, raising environmental concerns. This situation has emerged following the judicial liquidation of Fibre Excellence, the company that previously managed the plant. Unions and environmental activists have criticized what they describe as "massive pollution currently taking place in the Rhône" at the site. Sophie Binet, general secretary of the CGT union, shared images on Instagram showing black liquid being discharged into a retention area of the plant. The unions had previously warned about the environmental risks of shutting down the site, which was classified as "Seveso low threshold," a designation used for industrial facilities that could pose significant risks to the environment or public health. Fibre Excellence, which operated paper pulp plants in Tarascon (Bouches-du-Rhône) and Saint-Gaudens (Haute-Garonne), became unprofitable due to rising costs of raw materials. The company entered judicial restructuring at the end of April and the Tarascon site was placed in judicial liquidation on July 29. The Toulouse commercial court ruled that the company was in "an irretrievably compromised situation, without a prospect of recovery." The only takeover offer for the entire Fibre Excellence had been rejected, with financier Matthieu Pigasse supporting it, backed by the Occitanie and Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur regions. The Tarascon site closed on August 28, leading to the layoff of 270 employees. The laid-off workers gathered in front of the plant to express their disagreement, and on August 26, they blocked access to the company designated to maintain and ensure the safety of the site. Alix Brenac, one of the two judicial liquidators, explained that the shutdown was necessary to avoid and limit risks. Jean-Michel Bulinge, a CGT union delegate, expressed doubts about the capabilities of the new company managing the site, stating that they "don't know the installations, don't know how it works." On September 3, the Bouches-du-Rhône prefecture demanded "immediate" implementation of emergency measures due to concerns about fire risks or environmental pollution. The prefecture warned that the security of the Tarascon site "is no longer properly ensured" due to the shutdown of certain electrical installations at the beginning of September, leading to the partial shutdown of the fire protection system and wastewater treatment plant. On September 1, 50 cubic meters of "black liquor" – a byproduct of paper production – were accidentally discharged into a retention area, and 6 cubic meters into the wastewater treatment plant, which has been inoperable since September 2. The prefecture estimated that an incident or accident could lead to large fires or environmental pollution and ordered the liquidators to "immediately" restart the safety measures. The site was requisitioned by the State on September 8 to ensure its safety. Jean-Michel Bulinge reported that "untreated water is continuously flowing into the Rhône," with 400,000 liters already having flowed. He warned that the water exceeds the operating thresholds of the site and continues to flow. The unions, including Force Ouvrière, have denounced the "ecological consequences" of the pollution and fear potential groundwater contamination. Employees remain mobilized, fearing that rain could cause more overflows. They are demanding the reintegration of essential employees for the site's security and the temporary nationalization of Fibre Excellence.