Planned noise protection relaxations come before the National Council again
Published: Tuesday, Sep 10th 2024, 04:50
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On Tuesday, the National Council will once again address the question of how much noise protection should be relaxed in times of housing shortages. For the second time, it is considering an amendment to the Environmental Protection Act submitted by the Federal Council, which has already been through the Council of States twice.
The National Council's Committee for the Environment, Energy and Spatial Planning (Urek-N) is asking the National Council to stick to the previous line of the upper chamber with regard to residential construction in areas where noise limits have been exceeded.
For the Urek-N, at least half of the noise-sensitive rooms in new apartments should have a window that complies with the noise limit values when measured. If controlled ventilation is installed, it is sufficient if the limit values measured at the open window are complied with in one noise-sensitive room per apartment. The same applies if a quiet, privately usable outdoor space is available.
The Council of States wants to relax noise protection more: it advocates that the limit values for apartments with controlled ventilation no longer have to be complied with at any open window. The Urek-N is of the opinion that the National Council's version represents a more balanced regulation than that of the Council of States, as it announced before the debate.
This could strike a balance between densification and noise protection. In view of the housing shortage, pragmatic solutions are needed.
On other controversial points, however, the Urek-N wants to toe the line of the Council of States. For example, it is proposing that a new special noise limit near airports should not be written into the Environmental Protection Act.
The Urek-N now also rejects the idea of writing into law that a reduction in the general speed limit cannot be demanded on traffic-oriented roads.
Contaminated sites: polluters should pay
With the revision of the Environmental Protection Act, the Federal Council also wants to push ahead with the remediation of contaminated sites throughout the country. In this regard, the Urek-N is asking the Council to retain the provision that, in principle, the owners of the sites must pay for the costs of investigating and remediating private playgrounds and gardens.
This is in line with the polluter pays principle. A minority of the Urek-N proposes following the Council of States and deleting the provision.
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