Saint-Maur-des-Fossés fuel spill forces closure of Paris bathing sites

Around 3,000 litres of fuel were illegally dumped into a storm‑drain near the Marne River in Saint‑Maur‑des‑Fossés, Val‑de‑Marne, on 26 July. The city and the Syndicat Marne Vive, led by Mayor Pierre‑Michel Delecroix, filed a criminal complaint and launched an investigation, reviewing video‑surveillance from the two neighbouring communes. The spill prompted the temporary closure of the Pont Marie and Bercy swimming areas in Paris as authorities worked to contain the contamination. Specialized teams have pumped more than 1,500 litres of fuel from the affected drainage system, while environmental officials warned of the serious damage to natural habitats and the risk of fuel residues traveling downstream along the Seine.