"Absurd and anachronistic": Citizens' initiatives and environmentalists outraged by the noise action plan

Created: 02/25/2022, 21:00

By: Andreas Beschorner

The third runway for the airport is further formulated as a goal in the state development plan.

© KNEFFEL/DPA

The third runway is still a goal in the state development program.

The reactions from the district of Freising are clear.

Flughafen/Freising

- These are the reactions of the Bund Naturschutz and the citizens' initiative Attaching to the now completed noise action plan for Munich Airport and what the state government has proposed as a partial update of the state development program (LEP).

Because: The interests of those living near the airport were not addressed at all, and the third runway is still a "destination" in the LEP.

Now the EU Commission should help.

Michael Buchberger from BI Attaching reported at a press conference on Friday that two statements on the noise action plan had been submitted as the most severely affected locality.

But: "None of our comments have been taken into account," said Buchberger, disappointed and annoyed.

"That's weird": Michael Buchberger from BI Attaching.

© FT Archive

Above all, Bucherberg and the BI were outraged that the government of Upper Bavaria did not make a single assessment of its own, but only listed statements from ministries and Flughafen München GmbH on the comments.

"That's weird."

(By the way: everything from the region is now also available in our regular Freising newsletter.)

The BI was aware that the demand to stamp down the third runway and to enact a ban on night flights at Moos Airport did not stand a good chance.

Buchberger was almost speechless that the demands to reduce direct overflights via Attaching and to publish the special permits for night flights (according to the government this is “unpractical”) were ironed out.

They don't want to put up with that and have therefore written a letter to the EU Commission with the Schönfelder-Ziegler-Lehners law firm, asking for the noise action plan to be reviewed.

After all, it is a requirement of the EU.

EU should help

The Bund Naturschutz (BN) has taken exactly the same step, as Christine Margraf, deputy chairwoman of the Freising district group, reported.

Because the Federal Nature Conservation Union is also “horrified and shocked” about what is in the noise action plan.

And: The EU Commission is "already keeping a close eye on the countries," says Margraf, to ensure that the EU directives and specifications are also being met.

However, the BN has another procedure in mind, in which the third runway also plays a central role: the partial update of the Bavarian state development program.

When the state government's draft was received at the end of December, "we were shocked".

Because the entire chapter on Munich Airport was taken over "completely unchanged" - priority area for expansion and third runway included.

According to Margraf, this is “really absurd and anachronistic” in view of climate change and the climate protection law that now even exists in Bavaria.

"We were shocked": Christine Margraf from the Bund Naturschutz.

© FT Archive

Christian Magerl, spokesman for the action alliance Aufgemuckt against the third runway, reiterated this statement: Compared to 2019, the decline in flight movements and passengers is enormous, and things don't look any better in January 2022 either.

We are further than ever from even remotely approaching the two-lane capacity of 480,000 aircraft movements per year.

"The end of the runway is overdue," said Magerl's repeated demand.

The Bund Naturschutz (Bund Naturschutz) also raised this “unmistakably” in its statement on the LEP, emphasizes Margraf.

"Return Freedom"

For Christian Magerl it is "absolutely cheeky" to keep the planning approval decision for the construction of the runway in the drawer instead of acknowledging the realities and repealing it.

Because this planning approval decision has severe and restrictive effects on the citizens and the municipalities.

"It's time to give us our freedom back," Magerl appealed.

“Absolute cheek”: Christian Magerl, spokesman for the Action Alliance Aufgemuckt © FT-Archiv

One way of giving emphasis to these demands is public pressure, says Margraf from the Bund Naturschutz.

Should the LEP nevertheless come into force as planned by the state government, according to Magerl, there is only one chance to change this: "Deselect!"