A sawmill close to homes, neighbors who can no longer tolerate the excessive noise generated by this activity: the climate in a residential area of Riddes (VS) is not good. The conflict has lasted for many years and the various procedures initiated by local residents have often been in vain. In 2021, however, the Valais courts ordered the partial closure of the sawmill, which had no choice but to clean up some of its facilities or move. The following year the Municipality asked the manager for a building authorization procedure relating to the sanitisation interventions requested and those already carried out. But the neighbors objected and the case ended up in the Federal Court (TF).
It examined all the details and ended up following the opinion of the Valais cantonal court which established that the interests, and health, of neighbors disturbed by noise emissions exceeding the authorized limit could not lead to a prolonged ban on the use of certain noise reduction tools. sawmill, which “would most likely jeopardize the economic survival of the company.” The TF, however, weighed this in by recognizing that local residents had been suffering from ailments for many years and that the current remediation procedure should extend over a long period.
The federal judges therefore believe it is necessary to examine whether less brutal measures than completely stopping the sawmill’s activity are possible to reduce noise and protect neighbors. They cite, for example, the limitation of working hours, the ban on the use of certain machines or “any other technical, constructive or operational measure” that makes it possible to achieve this objective. But they underline that it is not up to the TF to rule on these issues, which is why the case is referred to the Valais justice system.
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2023-12-30 06:02:03
#Riddes #noise #war #continues #sawmill