Definitive green light for the new Montijo-Lisbon airport ?
The new Lisbon-Montijo airport will be done after receiving the final green light from the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA). This new airport has been debated for a few years and after multiple twists in this file, the environmental impact study (DIA) gave a favorable opinion to the construction of Montijo airport in exchange for several environmental measures of a amount of 48 million euros. Lisbob, the expatriate assistant in Portugal, tells you all about the final green light given to the construction of the new Montijo airport.
Article translated from Dinherovivo.pt
Definitive green light for the new Montijo-Lisbon airport?
The APA published an environmental impact study for Montijo airport, confirming the decision favorable to its construction. We had to wait until the last minutes of the deadline, but it's finally official: the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA) published this Tuesday January 21, after 11:30 p.m., the environmental impact study (DIA) favorable, although conditioned on the airport infrastructure of Montijo.
The document thus gives the green light to the partial transformation of the military base of Montijo into a complementary airport which will serve the Lisbon region. But he maintains the conditions he had previously reported as a way to compensate for possible environmental damage, including the setting up of two ships to cross the Tagus. Environmental measures amounting - as already indicated in the DIA published in October - to around 48 million euros.
“The APA published an environmental impact study (DIA) relating to the Lisbon-Montijo complementary airport, confirming the favorable decision conditional on the adoption of the solution of the previous study of the southern extension of the runway and of the alternative solution of the previous study of the road connection to the A12. This decision maintains the framework of minimization and compensation measures (around 160) to which ANA will have to comply, "the agency said in a press release.
With confirmation of environmental feasibility, work on the Montijo base may begin this year, despite the fact that eight environmental associations have already warned that they will go to court to try to stop work on the new airport. In the 2020 state budget, construction of the Montijo airport is expected to start this year, continuing "this important" project and entering "definitively into its implementation phase".
Birds, salt marshes and crops
Birds, salt marshes and crops
With regard to the impacts on birds, the Declaration states that "supported by the financial mechanisms provided for in the DIA framework, a company incorporated by the ICNF" whose "functions will be to implement activities directly related to protection and conservation of wild birds and, to this end, draw up an action plan for the implementation of compensation measures ”. This plan includes in particular the acquisition of salt marshes, the acquisition of land and / or management contracts and / or the application of compensatory measures for the loss of productivity in the agricultural fields of Lezíria do Tejo. "Provide financial support for the operationalization and implementation of compensation measures by the structure created for activities directly related to the protection and conservation of wild birds, through the payment of 7.2 million euros, supplemented by the payment of a fee of 4.5 euros per air movement, ”he adds.
Zero flights between midnight and 6:00 am and electric boats in the Tagus
Regarding noise, the DIA is clear: air traffic is prohibited between midnight and 6 a.m. And in the slots 23.00-00.00 and 6.00-7.00 the operation of the airport infrastructure of Montijo must be conditioned "to the availability of slots for the year 2022 of 2.983 annual movements". Still on the issue of noise, in a press release, the need is expressed to adopt “quieter landing and take-off procedures which avoid or minimize the impact on the most sensitive areas, according to ICAO recommendations and validation by NAV ”. In addition, ANA - Aeroporto de Portugal (airport manager) will have to present a "Program to strengthen the acoustic conditioning of affected buildings in the defined area (isophones). "
This program must include the respective annual calendar, considering the execution of the measures until the airport begins to operate. ” These measures must be financially supported by the ANA, for an amount estimated between 15 and 20 million euros. With regard to accessibility, the environmental impact statement maintains - and to meet the growth in demand for inland waterway transport - that "the strengthening of the existing fleet must be ensured, by providing financial support to the 'acquisition of two electric propulsion vessels, to be used exclusively for transport between Cais do Seixalinho and Lisbon'.
As for the shuttle bus that will guarantee the journey between Montijo airport and Cais do Seixalinho, the indication is that it is a “technologically advanced and efficient service, based on vehicles with very low or zero emissions As is the case with the example of electric vehicles.
On the other hand, and in the case of the road between the airport and the train station of Oriente / Pinhal Novo, APA, in its environmental impact statement, indicates that it is necessary to study the creation of bus services fast, which in this case should also be very low emission.