Nature and Surroundings - Environmental groups unsuccessful in filing urgent lawsuit against A26 East.
Environmental advocacy groups Bund for Environment and Nature Protection (BUND) and Nature Conservation Union (Nabu) have encountered a setback in their attempt to block the construction of the controversial A26 East highway. Their urgent application was declined by the Federal Administrative Court. BUND's Hamburg chapter chairperson, Sabine Sommer, said, "We're obviously disappointed that the court has formally dismissed our urgent application; nonetheless, the reasoning suggests our case still holds potential." Nabu's Hamburg chapter chairperson, Malte Siegert, shared, "The court's language in the reasoning only fuels our determination to argue our case more passionately in the future."
The Federal Administrative Court reported that the likelihood of success in the lawsuit was uncertain. The dismissal of the urgent application was mainly due to the fact that the preliminary stage for the decision-making process hadn't yet experienced irreversible effects. Moreover, the court stated that the protective measures must be meticulously obeyed. Sommer expressed relief, "The court has clearly contradicted the planners' intentions of lessening the protective measures for nature to expedite construction."
The A26 East project initially aims to prolong the A26 West from Lower Saxony and connect it to the A1 in Hamburg-Stillhorn. Estimated costs of the endeavor amount to around 2.3 billion euros. Key aspects of the project comprise a brand-new Elbe bridge and a 1.5-kilometer noise barrier tunnel in Wilhelmsburg.
BUND and Nabu maintain that there's insufficient justification for the approximately ten-kilometer-long highway segment. They also contend that environmental concerns were not adequately addressed in the planning process. The construction of the A26 East brought about the loss of approximately 150 hectares of natural areas and the felling of more than 750 trees. They deemed these actions irresponsible, especially in a climate crisis era.
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- Despite the setback at the Federal Administrative Court, both BUND and NABU, as prominent environmental associations in Germany, remain committed to advocating for nature conservation in Hamburg and beyond.
- Malte Siegert, the chairperson of NABU's Hamburg chapter, echoed the sentiments of his colleagues, stating that the court's decision only strengthened their resolve to argue their case further against the construction of the A26 East highway.
- In addition to BUND and NABU, various other associations and environmental groups in Germany have expressed concern over the environmental impact of major infrastructure projects such as the A26 East, urging policymakers to prioritize nature conservation and sustainable development.
- The A26 East highway project, which includes the construction of a new Elbe bridge and a noise barrier tunnel in Wilhelmsburg, has been a contentious issue for environmental advocates due to its potential impact on local wildlife habitats and natural areas.
- As the Hamburg chapter of BUND, Malte Siegert and Sabine Sommer, along with their colleagues, will continue to work towards increasing public awareness of the critical importance of nature conservation and advocating for policies that prioritize the preservation of Germany's natural environment for future generations.
