CB GOLF ECHO (GRENOBLE-FRANCE)

Grenoble (Arpitan: Grasanòbol) is a city and commune in south-east France, situated at the foot of the Alps, at the confluence of the Drac into the Isère River. Located in the Rhône-Alpes région, Grenoble is the préfecture (capital) of the département of Isère. Population of the city (commune) of Grenoble at the 1999 census was 153,317 inhabitants (157,900 inhabitants as of February 2004 estimates). Population of the whole metropolitan area (in French: aire urbaine) at the 1999 census was 514,559 inhabitants.
renoble is surrounded by mountains: to the north the Chartreuse, to the west the Vercors, and to the east the Belledonne range. As such, it is often visited by the Tour de France and is often called the "capital of the Alps". The city is mainly built on the alluvial plain of the river Isere, at an altitude of around 214 meters. Mountain sports give to the city an important tourist interest: twenty ski stations surround the city (the nearest being Le Sappey-en-Chartreuse), some 15 minutes drive away.

The city sits in a valley bottom, with serious issues of air quality due to the large number of cars, garbage burning plants, chemical plants, paper mills and even nuclear test labs. Radiation detectors can be observed at regular intervals along the Drac river.

Historically both Grenoble and the surrounding areas were the site of mining and heavy industry. Abandoned mills and factories can be found in even the smallest villages.

The trash burning plant in Meylan, one of the city's most prosperous areas, is currently being investigated for polluting the environment with Dioxin. A similar plant in Savoie was found to have been doing just that after decades of cover-ups.

The Vercors Plateau continues to be contaminated by fallout from Chernobyl.