“The Humberto Delgado Airport in its current location has
become an unbearable burden; the prevention of noise and the control of noise
and atmospheric pollution, with a view to safeguarding human health and the
well-being of populations, thus constitutes a fundamental task of the State”,
reads the motion.
In this context, the Lisbon city council wants “ANA to
comply, in a short period of time, with its obligations set out in the noise
action plan at Humberto Delgado Airport, approved by the APA [Portuguese
Environment Agency], with regard to measures to reduce the exposure of
populations, carrying out soundproofing works in buildings directly affected by
aircraft noise”.
According to the PCP party, the noise action plan at
Humberto Delgado Airport, in Lisbon, was presented by ANA for the period
2018-2023 and received approval from the APA, in 2019, which “was granted on
the condition that a set of actions, among them, the implementation of the
acoustic insulation program, in order to minimise the impacts on the city and
in particular on the areas located near the airport”.
The motion states that the interventions were expected to be
implemented in two phases, between 2021 and 2023, through a program run by ANA,
for the acoustic insulation of the buildings most affected by aircraft noise in
the capital, but that “did not start”, with soundproofing works to be carried
out o indirectly affected buildings, houses or apartments with housing permits,
hospitals, schools, and universities.
The noise reduction plans and action plans result from the
diagnosis carried out by the competent authorities, through municipal noise
maps and strategic noise maps, which present measures to reduce the
population's exposure to noise.
Non-compliance
“ANA did not comply with the planned investment, under the
noise plan, which had the objective of reducing the exposure of populations, in
particular those who live or work, in areas located next to the landing or
take-off flight paths of planes, through of interventions at the level of
window frames and facades of the most exposed buildings, as foreseen in the
plan approved by the APA”, indicates the motion.
In the document, the PCP stated that noise constitutes a
serious source of disruption to people's quality of life, mainly noise at night,
and "the noise coming from the landings and take-offs of planes at
Humberto Delgado Airport causes numerous complaints and serious inconveniences
on a daily basis to the population of the city of Lisbon and neighbouring
municipalities”.
As consequences of airport noise on the affected populations, the motion points to sleep disturbances, increased risk of cardiovascular disease, and reduced children's learning ability, producing serious effects on the health and quality of life of citizens.