Thirteen environmental organisations and residents' groups are taking the Brussels Airport permit to the Council for Permit Disputes. This permit allows the airport to grow further, at the expense of the health of hundreds of thousands of local residents, the living environment, and the climate. The conditions in the permit are grossly insufficient to protect health from daytime and nighttime noise and to limit the impact on the climate and the airport's surroundings.
Night flights at Zaventem burden more than 150,000 local residents with serious sleep problems, which in turn increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases. This is further exacerbated by the air pollution from aircraft. The bill for public health runs into hundreds of millions each year. This was once again highlighted in the recent advice from the High Health Council, which advocates for a reduction in night flights. Nevertheless, the airport permit contains hardly any effective measures to limit noise pollution. A reduction in night flights is not forthcoming, even in the long term, although a study by Transport & Mobility Leuven shows that a ban on night flights hardly costs jobs and could even lead to more quality jobs.
The noisiest aircraft are not allowed to land or take off between 11 PM and 7 AM during the weekend. This will slightly reduce noise pollution during weekend nights, but leaves weekdays untouched. Do local residents not need a good night's sleep during the workweek? The environmental impact report insufficiently examined sleep disturbance, and the permit does not include adequate measures to protect nighttime rest. This is a legal basis for revoking the permit.
Another reason we are contesting this permit is climate. The permit does not place any restrictions on the unchecked growth of air freight and the number of passengers. This will inevitably lead to a greater climate impact from the airport. The environmental impact report and the permit do not adequately consider that climate impact. This is contrary to national and international environmental legislation. It also undermines climate efforts by other sectors. For this reason as well, we are asking for this permit to be revoked.
A third motivation for going to court is nature. Natural areas in the vicinity are already suffering greatly, partly due to the enormous nitrogen emissions from aircraft. This will only increase. There are hardly any measures in the permit to counter this. And this is not permissible under European and Flemish nature legislation.
Finally, the appellants also complain that the Environmental Impact Report only considers one maximum growth scenario for the airport and has not examined alternatives, although this is required by law.
The thirteen associations contesting the permit are:
- Bond Beter Leefmilieu Vlaanderen vzw
- Dryade vzw
- Climaxi vzw
- Grandparents for the Climate vzw
- BOREAS non-profit
- Sterrebeek 2000 non-profit
- AWACSS non-profit
- Solidair Tervuren Overijse non-profit
- Environmental Support Point Huldenberg non-profit
- Wake Up Kraainem non-profit
- BUTV non-profit
- Natuurpunt East Brabant non-profit
- Natuurpunt North West Brabant non-profit