Ecological research
On May 29 2019, the Council of State put a stop to the Nitrogen Approach Programme. The municipality of Schagen and PALLAS anticipated this decision at an early stage and decided before May 29 2019 to conduct ecological research themselves. A lot of research was done into the ecological quality and resilience of the adjacent nature reserves and into the effects that further increases in nitrogen deposition could have.
Great care was also taken to prevent or limit nitrogen emissions during the construction and use of both facilities, including through smart design. Ecologist Reinoud Kleijberg of Arcadis: ‘For this project, we mapped out the state of conservation of the protected habitats in the Natura 2000 area the Pettemerduinen and the Zwanenwater and showed that it is sufficiently positive to absorb the remaining small increases in nitrogen. Based on this, it has been stated that these extra nitrogen emissions from the PALLAS-reactor and the NHC have no significant effect on the Natura 2000 site.’
The Council of State already ruled in March 2020 that it was sufficiently substantiated that the realization of the PALLAS-reactor would not lead to significant consequences for nature.
The permit granting of Environmental Service Noord-Holland Noord can be downloaded on the site of Environmental Service.
Every day 30,000 patients depend on medical isotopes from the Netherlands. In order to guarantee security of supply in the future, preparations for the construction of the PALLAS-reactor are now underway. The new Cabinet is expected to make a decision on the financing of the new reactor in the first half of 2022.
