Gov't to compensate 3,000 families around Schiphol for noise pollution

About 3,000 households in the vicinity of Schiphol Airport will get compensation for noise pollution caused by the airport between 2017 and 2019, the Ministry of Infrastructure confirmed to NOS. It concerns addresses where the noise standards were exceeded during that period.

The Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate failed to enforce the noise pollution standards between 2017 and 2019 because new rules with higher noise standards were about to be implemented. Locals went to court about it in 2020, and an independent committee ultimately ruled that they were entitled to compensation.

When the Ministry first announced the compensation in April, it assumed that around 4,600 households would qualify for compensation. But 1,600 ultimately did not apply, the Ministry told NOS. Most compensation amounts are between 50 and 2,200 euros, the Ministry said. The Ministry put 5.5 million euros aside for this and will pay it out at the end of October or early November.

According to Alfred Blokhuizen of the locals’ interest group Schiphol Watch, many decided not to apply because they didn’t want to make the effort. “For those few euros. Or your request being rejected. It’s a kind of tiredness towards the government. What’s the point? Look at the benefits scandal. That leads to exhaustion and distrust.” He also described the compensation as a “tip.”

Jan Boomhouwer of the Right to Protection against Aircraft Nuisance Foundation, who has lived in Aalsmeer for 40 years, called the compensation a too-small band-aid on a big wound. “It doesn’t make things better for us as residents. The noise pollution remains unacceptable as it is now.”

From next spring, the Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate will start enforcing the noise standards again. To stay within those standards, the government plans to reduce Schiphol’s annual flight movements from 500,000 per year to 460,000 from April. From November next year, it will drop further to 452,500.