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Big mail to Lucerne department of construction, environment and economy: WWF, Pro Natura and Birdlife, as well as environmental protection doctors, file a supervisory complaint because environmental laws are not being followed.
The department of the FDP’s government adviser, Fabian Peter, is being criticized.
In the canton of Lucerne, too much ammonia and phosphorus have been released into the environment for decades, but the Department of Construction, Environment and Economy (BUWD) is not tackling the problem in a resolute way. This is the opinion of the environmental associations WWF, Pro Natura and Birdlife, as well as doctors for the protection of the environment. Now they are reacting with a drastic step: they are submitting an oversight complaint against the BUWD, which has been led by Fabian Peter (FDP) since July 2019, to the Lucerne general governing council. As the associations wrote in a message published on Monday, the canton of Lucerne is violating environmental laws, destroying habitats and putting the health of the population at risk.
Environmental associations note that in recent years their representatives have repeatedly drawn attention to the fact that in the canton of Lucerne too much ammonia and phosphorus has been being introduced into the environment for decades. However, under pressure from the agricultural lobby, the BUWD “did not dare to implement effective measures.” Targets to reduce ammonia and phosphorous inputs are said to be “too unambitious” and “far from sufficient to ease the burden on the environment and comply with federal laws.”
Asthma and lung diseases due to high levels of ammonia.
Limit values for ammonia are exceeded by a factor of two to three in some areas, the associations say. According to the announcement, 97 percent of the ammonia that enters the environment comes from agriculture. High emissions of phosphorus from agriculture have polluted Lakes Sempacher, Baldegger, and Hallwil for decades. The reason is that in the canton of Lucerne more than the average number of farm animals are raised: “more than the soil and the environment can bear”.
Environmental associations describe the consequences of high levels of ammonia and phosphorus as serious. Meadows and pastures fertilized by ammonia in the air would become greasy, poor meadows and wastelands would gradually be destroyed, and biodiversity would decline. Ammonia in the air is also a health hazard for people because the formation of fine dust could lead to asthma or lung disease.
Happy indictment: “Execution is systematically delayed”
Environmental associations are harshly attacking BUWD in their four-page letter. The department does not show how long-term ammonia reduction can be achieved. It did not apply the most effective measure, namely the reduction of the number of animals, so it could not credibly demonstrate how the canton of Lucerne wanted to achieve its targets, which were too low.
BUWD is also not achieving its phosphorus reduction targets and is “systematically” delaying its implementation. In this way, the department also prevents the rehabilitation of Lakes Baldegger, Sempacher and Hallwilersee from ever being completed. In order to achieve a natural state of the lake, the phosphorus load of agriculture in Baldeggersee would have to be cut in half, calculate the environmental associations.
The redevelopment of Lake Baldeggersee through fewer agricultural inputs is highly controversial: more than 100 farmers recently filed a complaint against the phosphorus cantonal ordinance with the Lucerne cantonal court. In it, farmers question the legality and proportionality of the measures ordered by the canton.
The facts listed, emphasize the environmental associations, have been on the table for 15 years. However, the BUWD still relies on mild measures and voluntariness, despite better knowledge. In doing so, the canton of Lucerne is violating the Law on Environmental Protection and Water Protection and is not showing that it wants to change anything.
More to come.
