Heathrow's third runway to fall foul of EU rules
Ministers will give a green light to the airport's extension, but critics say Europe's pollution targets could prevent it from being built
By Geoffrey Lean and Brian Brady
Sunday, 11 January 2009
Heathrow's third runway to fall foul of EU rules - Home News, UK - The Independent
Heathrow's controversial third runway – due to be given the green light by ministers this week – is unlikely ever to be built because it will fall foul of new European pollution laws, environmentalists and senior government advisers believe.
The airport's two existing runways already cause air pollution which breaches compulsory European Union air-quality standards, which Britain will have to observe by 2015. Neither anti-runway campaigners nor the Government's Environment Agency see how these can possibly be met if the number of flights rises by 50 per cent as planned.
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(I am tempted to repeat my earlier observation that the third would never be built)