English translations of some videos explaining arguments against a new Notre-Dame-des-Landes airport
The local opposition around Nantes, to the building a new airport north of Nantes, have produced a series of short videos, setting out some of the issues. There will be a referendum on 26th June, for people in the area, on whether the existing airport, Nantes-Atlantique, should be closed and a new airport constructed at Notre Dame des Landes (NDDL). The opponents of the NDDL airport say, among other things: – The number of flights at Nantes has hardly grown in 10 years. – It is possible to slightly grow the current Nantes-Atlantique airport (just south of Nantes) and slightly extend the runway by 60 metres. – It is possible to take measures to slightly reduce the noise at the Nantes-Atlantique airport. – The new NDDL airpot would cost the taxpayer about €280 million. – There would be no more destinations from the new NDDL airport than from the Nantes-Atlantique airport. Germany has 45 airports, and France has 156 airports. – The NDDL airport would mean the destruction of 700 hectares of wetland and about 900 hectares of farmland. – Many protected species would be lost. – About 200 agriculture-associated jobs would be lost, and most of the alleged new jobs would just move from the old airport. – The costs to passengers will be higher at the NDDL airport. And there is a lot more. With English translations below. https://www.acipa-ndl.fr/
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The four videos are on the ACIPA website, in French. https://www.acipa-ndl.fr/actualites/divers/item/669-4-videos-virales-a-partager
Below are translations of what they say,
Video 1. General
One of the short videos produced by the campaign to prevent the building of a new airport for Nantes, at Notre Dame des Landes (NDDL) north of Nantes – to replace the existing airport of Nantes-Atlantique, which is south of Nantes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PlaJTirwlMI 2 mins 30 secs long
on the Referendum on 26th June. Lots of text, so if anyone can speak even a bit of French, it is relatively easy to understand.
Just a few facts from the film:
The NDDL project has been dragging on since 1967.
The number of landings and take offs has hardly grown in 10 years.
It is possible to slightly grow the current Nantes-Atlantique airport (just south of Nantes) and slightly extend the runway by 60 metres.
It is possible to take measures to slightly reduce the noise at the Nantes-Atlantique airport.
The new NDDL airpot would cost the taxpayer about €280 million.
There would be no more destinations from the new NDDL airport than from the Nantes-Atlantique airport.
Germany has 45 airports, and France has 156 airports.
The NDDL airport would mean the destruction of 700 hectares of wetland.
One one shuttle bus service is planned from Nantes to NDDL.
It is 29 km from Nantes to NDDL.
There are 109 protected species in the area of NDDL that would be destroyed by the new airport.
The new airport would be more expensive for the passengers.
The shuttle bus would be more expensive and the parking would be more expensive.
The runways are not planned to be as long as the current runway at Nantes-Atlantique.
The boss of Vinci, the company planning to build the airport, has said the movement to NDDL is not a response to aviation issues.
Saying the current airport is too small for the traffic is FALSE.
Geneva airport has 13 million annual passengers, and the site is 340 hectares.
San Diego airport has 17 million annual passengers, and the site is 270 hectares.
Nantes airport has 3.2 million annual passengers, and the site is 320 hectares.
Geneva and San Diego airports transport 4 – 5 times as many passengers.
An airport in Spain was inaugurated in 2008 and cost a million €s.
That Spanish airport accumulated a debt of €300 million over 4 years.
The airport has been abandoned for several years. Don’t let’s make the same mistake with NDDL !
Would you rather your tax money went to something more useful
Would you rather €280 million of your tax money went to a year of free transport for everyone
Then vote NO on 26th June.
Watch the video in French at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PlaJTirwlMI
Video 2 Employment
Short video in French (1 min 45 secs) on the employment situation for a new NDDL airport: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MG8DJ0G0Z5E
Just a few facts from the film:
The airport promises 3,000 jobs.
That would be 700 people for 4 years.
There would be the loss of about 30 agricultural jobs, before the start of the airport work, and others in the following years.
For each agricultural employee, you can count 5 or 6 who are (?) employed indirectly.
The building of NDDL airport would the loss of about 200 jobs.
We are told the creation of NDDL airport would mean the creation of 2,500 jobs in airport work with 5 million annual air passengers.
But in reality there might be 2,000.
But these would just be jobs transferred from the existing Nantes-Atlantique airport to the south, moved up to the NDDL airport to the north.
That will just make a loss of jobs and consequent employment problems to the south of Nantes.
Watch the video in French at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MG8DJ0G0Z5E
Video 3 Environment
One of the short videos by the campaign opposing the new NDDL airport.
Short video (2 mins 48 secs) on the Environment. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3QuldSEWbU
Just a few facts from the film:
Proponents of the NDDL airport say it would be best for the environment.
They say there would be lots of plants around and the airport buildings would be much more energy efficient than the current airport.
In reality, it would only be a bit better.
And when the huge amount of energy needed to build the new airport is taken into account, the NDDL airport would account for massively more energy. (Around 33 units ? size for Nantes-Atlantique and 110 for NDDL). Almost 4 times as much in carbon emissions.
There is also the huge loss of land, the loss of wetlands and the loss of agricultural jobs.
There would be the destruction of 900 hectares of agricultural land.
The concept of the NDDL airport was formed back in 1963 when nobody had any idea of the importance of conserving wetlands.
Wetlands are areas where there is very rich biodiversity.
The NDDL airport site is situated entirely in wetland.
Lots of protected species are present on the site. Including a loriot, a kingfisher, an orchid, the great crested newt and a bat species.
Measures to compensate for the loss of wetland are suggested. But it is not possible to re-create such a complex ecosystem.
Only a tiny number of individuals from 3 species could be transferred to new habitats. That’s about 1% or 10 species pre thousand.
The EU is in the process of a procedure against France because of its treatment of environmental issues.
It means the destruction of an area that is very rich in biodiversity, without serious compensation.
Watch the video in French at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3QuldSEWbU
Video 4 Safety
One of the short videos produced by the campaign to prevent the building of a new airport for Nantes, at Notre Dame des Landes (NDDL) north of Nantes – to replace the existing airport of Nantes-Atlantique, which is south of Nantes.
On Security. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zztLQ9vSWW4
Just a few facts from the film:
Supporters of the new airport at NDDL say the existing airport at Nantes-Atlantique is one of the most dangerous in France.
Several aviation trade bodies (BEA and USAC-CGT) have said the location so near Nantes is not safe. [They should take a look at Heathrow, by contrast, with it 480,000 flights mainly coming right over London !]
They say the airport does not offer the best conditions for security.
No other organisation has said Nantes-Atlantique is unsafe.
There is no report from the BEA implying that Nantes-Atlantique is dangerous.
Of the 5 airports the BEA says have problematic approaches, Nantes is not one.
In reality, Nantes-Atlantique is placed in Category A at the safest group of airports.
The level of over-flights is no worse than at Toulouse or Marseilles, Paris, London or Brussels.
There can in future be a more safe [CDA] landing system so planes are a bit higher over Nantes, as at other European airports.
Watch the video in French at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zztLQ9vSWW4
Video 5 Noise nuisance
One of the films by the opponents of a new airport at Notre Dame des Landes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSMvcWZ-ijM
Just a few facts from the film:
One reason for wanting to build a new airport at NDDL is the noise problem.
42,000 people around Nantes are exposed to aircraft noise nuisance.
That noise figure is calculated based on their being 75,000 movements per year, when in fact there are 49,000.
The film explains the numbers in the various average noise contours.
Most people get noise at around the level of the spin of a washing machine.
Those suffering more than 55 dB (Lden ?) are only around 5,000 people. That’s at 75,000 flights per year.
There are ways to limit the noise, used at many airports.
There can be higher charges for more noisy aircraft. This is not yet done.
It would be possible for planes to land and take off, not overflying Nantes so much.
They could also come in to land from a greater height, on CDA, so not flying so low, in stepped descents, over the built up area.
And there should be much stronger limits on night flights.
There are better ways to reduce the noise burden than building a new airport at NDDL.
Watch the video in French at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSMvcWZ-ijM
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Translation from the French of the 350.org petition against the new airport at
Notre Dame des Landes consultation on 26th June
We all have a good reason to say NO!
Because the Notre Dame des Landes project, which is now over 50 years old, no longer suits the needs of our territories;
Because no airline has asked for the current Nantes Atlantique airport to be transferred, because it won the award for the best European regional airport in 2012 and because, as the current airport is not saturated, it can be rapidly optimized and modernized (lobby and car parks) as acknowledged by the Ministry for the Environment;
Because new facilities do not create business and a simple transfer from the south to the north of Nantes will not create 3000 lasting jobs, as announced by the promotors of the project, but will accentuate more than anything the economical unbalance in the agglomeration of Nantes;
Because the transfer would artificialize over 900 hectares of land and would eliminate at least 200 agricultural and associated jobs;
Because if the agricultural land disappears, we shall not be able to feed our children tomorrow (the equivalent of one “département” disappears every 7 years in France). At the rate of 20 million hectares urbanized each year all over the world, in 100 years’ time we shall have consumed the equivalent of all the arable land on the earth (source FAO) ;
Because the site at Notre Dame des Landes is located entirely on wetlands, rich in biodiversity and protected by several international conventions ;
Because the European Union has filed a suit against France for breach of the environmental aspects of this issue;
Because keeping Nantes Atlantique will mean generating four times less greenhouse gas and that modernizing would cost between twice and ten times less than building a new airport at Notre Dame des Landes;
Because aircraft noise is dropping, in Nantes just like elsewhere, as the latest planes are less noisy and noise can be reduced further through various measures (flight paths, penalizing the noisiest planes…);
Because Nantes Atlantique is classed category A for safety, without restriction, and that flying over Nantes is done with the same guarantee of safety as Toulouse, Marseille, Paris, London, Brussels… ;
Because we want the taxpayers’ money to be used for the public interest, because every euro spent should be a useful euro and that an expertise assigned by the Ministry for the Environment concludes that the project for the new airport at Notre Dame des Landes is oversized;
Because everyone is concerned by the imperative to preserve our planet;
Because, in the same way as the other stages in this business, this consultation is tainted by a lack of democracy, i.e. a local consultation for a national project, lack of information, unequal means…
Because, even outside the département of Loire-Atlantique, we all feel concerned about this project of national interest led by the State;
For all these reasons, we are against this project
And incite the inhabitants of Loire-Atlantique to vote NO on 26th June!
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