Remediation of noise from industry in the Netherlands, 1997-2002
Progress made by province (1997-2002) with the projects for the remediation of noise from industry. These projects, which are included in the 'Remediation of noise from industry' operation, must be completed by 1 January 2003.
Developments in the remediation of noise from industry
On 1 January 2002, reports had been received stating that 35% of the projects had been completed. The completion of a site can be reported once all the relevant permits have been altered; the reports do not therefore provide an accurate picture of the actual completion of remediation activities. Measures have now been taken at 58% of all sites. A considerable effort is still required if the objective for 2003 is to be achieved.
The provinces of Friesland, Groningen and Zeeland have made most progress with implementation. Reports of completion have been received for approximately 70% of the projects. In Drenthe, Overijssel and Flevoland, implementation is not proceeding as quickly.
Policy
The projects for the remediation of industrial noise are part of the 'Remediation of noise from industry' operation of the Association of Provincial Authorities (IPO). Like the 'Remediation of noise from industry' operation, the projects have to be completed by 1 January 2003.
The Association of Provincial Authorities and the Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment entered into a covenant in 1994 that included agreements about the remediation of noise from industry on the basis of the Noise Abatement Act (IPO and VROM, 1994). This covenant decentralised tasks and financial resources. The provincial authorities were given the central role in the implementation of the remediation activities. For the purposes of implementing the covenant, the Association of Provincial Authorities launched the Remediation of Noise from Industry Project. More than 45.5 million euros were allocated to the provinces over a period of ten years for this purpose, with more than 13 million being intended for acoustic studies and more than 31 million for remediation measures.
