German Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) would have to be familiar quite well with a law, whose Name is a real tongue Twister: the Federal Immission control act. The Federal Immission control act. As a former Federal Minister of the environment, you know that these 73 paragraphs are pretty much the best thing that could happen to the health of 80 million citizens. Therein limit values for the emissions of toxic substances are regulated, factory power plants – but also from the exhaust from the cars vents.
to prevent But, you Know, the Chancellor does not protect seem to have an embarrassing mishap while trying to find a driving ban in Frankfurt am Main. The Federal government wants to change the Federal Immission control act. So diesel drivers should continue to have access to the centre of the Bank metropolis. In this way, Merkel wants to avoid at the same time, an electoral defeat of their party colleagues Volker Bouffier in the Hesse state election this coming Sunday. However, it is not at all sure whether the bill comes up.
Bouffier is in great Distress – and made a mistake
On Sunday, the Chancellor was ahead. In cities with a nitrogen oxide concentration below 50 micrograms per cubic meter of air it would be “disproportionate” if Diesel would lock up to the emission standard Euro 5. The Chancellor, in view of the approaching Election-day, obviously, no matter that in the Federal Immission control act, written rules provide 40 micrograms.
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Bouffier is because of the threat of a driving ban in great Distress. The measure, had ordered the administrative judge last month for the main metropolis. The country is legal. The highest in Frankfurt, as measured by value, the experts believed, yet was 47 micrograms – on the Friedberger Landstrasse, so below Chancellor Merkel’s newly-defined upper limit. So, you might think for the nearly 300,000 diesel drivers who live in the city, and those of 300,000 who commute each day into the Bank in town. Frankfurt is located underneath, and the Diesel may continue running in.
Embarrassing own goal by Merkel and the Prime Minister
But far from it. Chancellor Merkel has scored an embarrassing own goal, with the active support of Volker Bouffier.
Because of the highest in Frankfurt, established nitrogen oxide value for 2017 is now officially 54 micrograms. Shown w he was of the Hesse state authorities for a crossing at the Börneplatz. You can read this number, of all places, in a letter, the choice fighters Bouffier on 10. October to the Federal Minister Svenja Schulze (environmental, SPD), Andreas Scheuer (CSU) and Helge Braun (Chancellor, CDU), wrote.
Therein Bouffier followed a different strategy: He begs outright, Frankfurt, Germany, in the circle of those cities to be incorporated, because of the driving bans, generous exchange premiums of the auto manufacturers and the retrofitting of diesel vehicles with a nitrogen oxide catalytic converters are supposed to get, and is called, therefore, the high exhaust gas value. So far, the government wants to give circles this is only the so-called “intensive” cities and their surrounding country. Who can more than prove 50 micrograms nitrogen oxides, qualifies for this dubious title.
Frankfurt as an exhaust gas-intensive city
Bouffier wanted to help Frankfurt diesel drivers with his reference to 54 micrograms by the Börneplatz: “The Hessian land government expects that for Frankfurt, the extended offer, including Hardware retrofits for private diesel owners – will be made,” he writes unequivocally to Merkel’s house. While the environment wanted to allow officials of the city of Frankfurt your community so for a long time to be better off, just wanted to let the Prime Minister, the city look bad, in the hope to exchange premiums, and Diesel retrofits.
Obviously, the top politicians of the CDU have not quite matched in their strategy, the quiet diesel drivers (and voters) in Frankfurt. While the Chancellor of Frankfurt wanted to save forbidden with the Federal Immission control act-Change, before driving, has Bouffier ban on the city, with its careless in his letter above-mentioned measuring station at the Börneplatz in the circle of driving cities, catapulted, as it were, with letter and seal. The Federal environment Agency has confirmed to the MIRROR that Frankfurt is now officially 54 micrograms and not more 47. A driving ban is likely to be almost impossible to avoid.
German Chancellor and father of the country are now disgraced. The diesel drivers are angry about a policy that you and your of a loss in Value of affected cars in the rain.