In the Orbiel valley, located about 15 kilometers north of Carcassonne, residents who grow vegetables in their gardens are still unable to eat their produce due to long-term arsenic contamination. Since 1997, it has been illegal to grow, sell, or consume vegetables in the area, as well as to use water from private wells or the Orbiel river and its tributaries. Studies suggest that between three and eight tons of arsenic enter the water system annually from former mining sites. The French Geological Survey (BRGM) estimates three tons, while a study initiated by local residents claims the amount is eight tons. The Salsigne mine, once a major gold producer, left behind 1.2 million tons of highly toxic waste, stored in two artificial hills, from which 3 to 8 tons of arsenic escape each year into the river system. Residents have been under these restrictions for over 25 years, and health concerns persist. Among 103 children tested, 35 had urinary arsenic levels higher than reference values. Health guidelines from 1997 advised against consuming locally grown food, drinking well water, and consuming locally produced wine, while also recommending monitoring children's hand-to-mouth activities. These warnings are still displayed by the Occitanie Regional Health Agency (ARS) and the Aude prefecture. Soil contamination remains a significant issue, as seen during the October 2018 floods, when heavy metals were detected in the schoolyard of Lastours. The government did not carry out the necessary cleanup, forcing the local commune to fund the removal. A schoolyard, a private vegetable garden, and a garden well illustrate the ongoing problem that has persisted for over a quarter of a century. The arsenic contamination originates from the Salsigne mine, once the largest gold mine in Europe and the world's first producer of arsenic and other heavy metals. Between 1892 and 2004, the mine produced approximately 120 tons of gold, 270 tons of silver, and 400 tons of copper. However, the most significant figure is the 1.2 million tons of highly toxic waste generated, mixed with 14 million tons of other waste, including two large artificial hills that now dominate the landscape. The government had promised a containment system for the waste that would last 50 years, but this failed within 15 years. Emergency work, including stabilizing weakened slopes with piles, was carried out in 2015. The October 2018 floods did not significantly damage the site's infrastructure, and the BRGM conducted necessary emergency work. However, evaluations by officials and environmental groups suggest that heavy rains may have dislodged parts of the hills, spreading the pollution further. In November 2024, the Aude prefecture outlined a plan with 50 actions to combat arsenic pollution in the Orbiel valley. Work to contain the Montredon site was resumed at a cost of 4 million euros, with strengthened health and environmental monitoring. Health monitoring focuses especially on children, with the Occitanie ARS offering a program for individual clinical and biological monitoring since July 8, 2019. By September 2019, 191 children had been tested, with eight showing two consecutive results above the reference threshold of 10 micrograms of arsenic per gram of creatinine. By 2020, 35 out of 103 children under 11 years old tested had levels above the reference value. Santé publique France expanded its research to include adults, conducting the PRIOR study between 2021 and 2023 with the Toulouse-Jean Jaurès university and the CNRS. The study aimed to understand how residents live with pollution and perceive the associated risks. Twenty years after the mine's closure, the issue has become a daily concern, passed from generation to generation. On July 22, 2025, the Montpellier administrative court ruled in favor of the residents, stating the state is fully responsible since 2006, as the mine operator had disappeared. The Aude prefecture now has one year to take necessary measures to repair ecological damage. Only the Terres d'Orbiel association received full symbolic compensation for moral damage. The state announced on September 25, 2025, that it would appeal the ruling while acknowledging the existence of ecological damage. The 1997 decree remains in effect, with the focus still on the contaminated hills rather than the children living nearby.