Rijkswaterstaat and the PAS

Experiences with the new rules for nitrogen deposition for

management of main roads, waterways and waterworks

Carla Mors and

Chrisjan Leermakers

November 30, 2015

Rijkswaterstaat

2 Rijkswaterstaat and the PAS RWS UNCLASS November 30, 2015

Main tasks Rijkswaterstaat

• Construction and maintenance of main roads

• Construction and maintenance of main waterways

• Management of main water bodies

• Defence against flooding

Rijkswaterstaat

3 Rijkswaterstaat and the PAS RWS UNCLASS

November 30, 2015

Rijkswaterstaat

4 Rijkswaterstaat and the PAS RWS UNCLASS

Manual for infrastructural projects

November 30, 2015

• MIRT Dutch Multi-annual Programme for Infrastructure, Spatial Development and Transport

• The MIRT includes important infrastructural projects under the Dutch Infrastructure Planning Act

• Contribution traffic and shipping on N-deposition about 5-20 %

• Difference with other nitrogen sources: linear form

• Own manual with a specific protocol is developed by Rijkswaterstaat

RWS instructie Programma Aanpak Stikstof (PAS)

Voor HWN, HVWN en HWS projecten, Juni 2015

Rijkswaterstaat

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Rijkswaterstaat

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What’s different? (1)

November 30, 2015

• No study of ecological effects N-deposition needed anymore in specific Appropriate Assessment : this is done in general AA for the PAS where area analyses have been done for all Natura 2000-sites;

(Effectstudies in specific AA still needed for other aspects such as noise on breeding birds.)

• Special position: priority projects with room for development secured: gives more assurance beforehand

• (Road or water)project organizations check if the reservated room for development is enough; estimating realization-phase is most difficult

• If adjustments are needed: this happens twice a year in the context of the programming of the PAS.

Rijkswaterstaat

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What’s different? (2)

November 30, 2015

• Distance limit priority projects : 3 km for main roads, 5 km for main waterways; addition of nitrogen outside these boundaries: => checked in general via AERIUS Monitor

• For temporary projects more calculations needed than before, because of low ‘irrelevance limit’: 0,05 mol/ha/year

Rijkswaterstaat

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Rijkswaterstaat

9 Rijkswaterstaat and the PAS RWS UNCLASS

Still questions

November 30, 2015

• How to execute in time the right calculations in AERIUS? (the project deadlines still stand)

• How to be sure that the juridical rules are being subdued?

• If the amounts of nitrogen surpluses exceed these of the reservations: will the adjustments of the reservation be taken in time?

• What if recovery measures turn out to be not enough: are there extra nature management measures at hand for the specific hexagons where it's needed for? Is this ecologically possible? And if not: will there be in time an escape-plan with extra measures at a resources-level? And will there be enough money and public support available for this?

Rijkswaterstaat

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Thanks for your attention,

Carla and Chrisjan from Rijkswaterstaat