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Government must enforce EU air quality measures around Heathrow
February 27, 2004 1:18 PM
Sarah Ludford MEP joined Mike Cox, GLA candidate for Ealing & Hillingdon and local campaigner Susan Kramer to protest against a proposed third runway at Heathrow
Lib Dem Euro-MP Baroness Sarah Ludford has called on the government specifically to include Heathrow-created pollution in a report to Brussels on progress in meeting EU obligations on air quality improvements.
The Government must meet European limits on sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, lead and particulates by 2010 and must report regularly on its progress to the European Commission. But in the draft of the latest report, it omits any reference to Heathrow or aviation, even though the two local boroughs of Hillingdon and Hounslow see it as the 'principal source of pollution in our respective areas'. This omission could mean that no specific action gets taken to tackle Heathrow pollution.
Said Sarah Ludford:
"Air quality in West/South-West London is currently not up to scratch, and the Government has an obligation to Europe and to residents to ensure that it is improved. It is a sign of bad faith that its draft report to the European Commission fails to mention Heathrow as a major source of pollution in the London area and the major source locally".
"And how can we believe the Government's promise not to build a Third Runway before EU air quality standards are met if they are not even monitoring them?"
"I smell a rat in the report's suggestion that in nitrogen dioxide 'hot-spots' it may not be cost-effective to take action to reduce levels of pollution. Heathrow just happens to create one such hot-spot! It seems as if the Government is trying to wriggle out of its commitment to target pollution here, which would be a gross betrayal of local residents."
She added: "I have called on the Government to provide the funding to local authorities such as Hillingdon and Hounslow for the equipment necessary for independent monitoring of air quality. Then our local representatives can keep tabs on what is really going into our lungs."
Notes to Editors:
The European Union has put in place a comprehensive set of laws requiring action to tackle air pollution, especially a 1996 'Framework Directive on ambient air quality' and a 1999 'Daughter Directive' on monitoring levels of Nitrogen Oxide, Sulphur Dioxide, Particulate Matter, Lead and Nitrogen Dioxide. Limit values for all these pollutants must be met by 2010.
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