The Ministry of Defense has nevertheless found alternative locations for a new radar station that would actually be located in Herwijnen. In the Gelderland village there was a lot of resistance against the arrival of the radar. Also the House of Representatives insisted at another destination.
In a letter to the House of Representatives, outgoing Minister of Defense Kamp writes that several locations have been found “that are potentially suitable for placing the radar”. There is also sufficient coverage at those locations for the radar to monitor Dutch airspace, says Kamp.
It concerns places that were previously in the picture, but also new ones. Defense will now first enter into discussions with the municipalities involved. It is not known which municipalities are involved. It is not yet possible to say when a decision will be made, a spokesperson for the ministry said Broadcasting Gelderland know.
Fear of the effect of radiation
Herwijnen has been resisting the arrival of the defense radar for a long time. Villagers are concerned about the health effects of the radiation from the radar and have also made their complaints known in The Hague.
The new radar station is to replace the outdated radar station in Nieuw-Milligen. Earlier, the then State Secretary of Defense, Barbara Visser (VVD), had indicated that it was urgent because the equipment regularly breaks down. Herwijnen had been designated as the location for the new radar station, but in addition to local residents, a majority of the House was also against that choice.
There are already shipping radars and a radar from the KNMI in Herwijnen. If a military radar is also added, the local residents will be exposed to composite radiation for a long time. According to the Health Council, the link between this radiation and diseases has not been demonstrated, but cannot be ruled out either. That is why caution is called for, the Chamber felt.
Various alternatives have been suggested, but according to the then State Secretary Visser, there was no time to investigate them further. The Chamber was not satisfied with this and supported a motion by the CDA and ChristenUnie demanding that another location be sought.
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