- Environmental aid sharply criticizes Hessian noise action plans
The German Environmental Aid has sharply criticized the updated Hessian noise action plans. Despite the drafts indicating that more than 20 percent of all residents in Hesse are affected by potentially health-damaging noise, the plans do not contain "a single binding noise protection measure," said traffic expert Robin Kulpa in Berlin. Over several thousand pages, only non-binding testing tasks and previously rejected proposals are listed.
The EU Environmental Noise Directive requires member states to determine the noise exposure of the population using comparable criteria. These data are used in noise action plans, which must be drawn up every five years and contain concrete measures for noise reduction. Quiet areas should be protected from an increase in noise. In Hesse, the three government presidencies draw up the plans.
Environmental Aid sees relief only in nearly 400 years at the current pace
The drafts also provide an estimate of how many people have been relieved of noise in the past five years, Kulpa explained from Environmental Aid. According to this, more than 1.34 million people were affected by health-damaging noise - around 17,000 people were relieved. "At the current speed, the state would need 394 years to slightly relieve all people in Hesse who suffer from traffic noise."
Problematic, according to Kulpa, is that there are no binding limit values for noise, only orientation values. "Therefore, there is little movement in noise protection," the expert criticized. According to Environmental Aid's estimate, road noise can be quickly and cheaply reduced, and climate protection improved at the same time. For this, among other things, more 30 km/h zones should be established and through traffic for trucks restricted.
Government presidencies see legal requirements fulfilled
The government presidencies referred to the fact that, unlike other federal states, the noise action plans in Hesse are not drawn up by the municipalities. Therefore, the plans must limit themselves to specifying testing tasks, for example, for the road traffic authorities, providing municipalities with information on noise problems, and making suggestions for solutions. The legal requirements for drawing up the plans are fulfilled, the three government presidencies confirmed.
The EU directive applies to all member states, including Hessen. According to the directive, Hessen, like other regions, needs to implement noise action plans every five years.
The current Hessen noise action plans, despite affecting over 20% of its population with potentially harmful noise, lacks any binding noise protection measures, as pointed out by traffic expert Robin Kulpa.
