Overshadowed for some months, the decree on the part of reference wind relied on discretion to make their way into the arcane decision of the Walloon government. But critics of the Walloon wind strategy, as presented and defended by the voice of the Minister Philippe Henry (Ecolo) have voluntarily decided to place a new banderille, a few months before the elections.
The latest initiative comes from the residents of the "Ridias" (eight turbines) project, in the Namur region, located at the border of the municipalities of La Bruyère and Gembloux. The opposition committee has filed a complaint with the Committee on Petitions of the European Parliament. The title is intentionally provocative: "The Walloon authorities concealed for seven months a study on noise from large wind and fall threshold noise for local residents.”
Specifically, the argument refers to the noise study conducted by the consulting company ICA, up to Walloon authorities on 31 October 2012. This analysis thousands of sound samples made with some wind farms. The results show evidence frequently exceeding the current standard, always set at 40 dBA (decibels audible) in night conditions. However, the future wind decree intends to rely on the recommendations of that report to justify an increase in noise standards. In late October, the minister Henry had expressed his intentions Vif / L'Express: "What I suggest at this stage is a standard that evolves during the day: 50 dBA 43 dBA day to night, or 40 dBA summer nights.”
Wallonia guilty of obstruction of information to citizens?
Residents suspect the Walloon authorities have voluntarily banned the publication of the ICA report to grant licenses for wind parks with noise emission levels above the norm. "For months, the document is not known to the public," denounce the depositories of the complaint. "Meanwhile, the Minister of Planning will provide many wind allowed knowingly and proposed by the latter solution will ... raising night noise standard of 40 dBA to 43 dBA [...].
Conclusion of residents: by delaying the release of CIA report, the Walloon Region hidden vital information to citizens, violating the principle of free access to information on environmental issues championed by the Aarhus Convention, to which Belgium is a signatory. Now they are asking the European Parliament to shed light on this point. And decide on the responsibility of the European Union vis-à-vis the "deterioration of the living conditions of the Walloons."
The Petitions Committee has submitted a receipt on January 6. If the complaint is admissible, then the procedure could last for months.
Basically, the study by the ICA office does not constitute a repudiation of the wind policy so far. However, its findings underscore the need to monitor and measure the noise emission by future wind turbines. Many of them will be clamped at certain times - mostly at night - to consistently meet standards. The mission, to achieve independently, seems very complex.
