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Wiesbaden (dpa / lhe) - The decline in traffic in the corona pandemic ensures cleaner air in Hesse.
After 16 measuring points reported an exceeded limit value for nitrogen dioxide (NO2) in the previous year, this was still the case last year at two measuring points, as the Ministry of the Environment announced on Friday in Wiesbaden.
The two measuring points are located in Darmstadt and Limburg, where the annual mean values were 41.7 and 44.5 micrograms per cubic meter.
The limit is 40 micrograms.
According to the balance sheet of the Hessian State Office for Nature Conservation, Environment and Geology (HLNUG), the NO2 concentration decreased by an average of around six micrograms per cubic meter, which corresponds to a decrease of around 18 percent compared to 2019. In rural areas, the values therefore decreased by 13 Percent back, in the cities around 19. Environment Minister Priska Hinz (Greens) said that the reason was also measures to keep the air clean, such as more bicycle paths and better connections with buses and trains.
The state office called on the municipalities not to end the measures prematurely.
Darmstadt is so far the only Hessian city with diesel driving bans on two particularly congested streets, in Frankfurt a decision is to be made based on current values in the coming weeks.
Diesel engines are the main cause of harmful nitrogen dioxide emissions.
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The Association of Hessian Business Associations (VhU) called for the driving bans in Darmstadt to be checked.
The development shows that the air in all Hessian cities is getting better even without driving bans.
Driving bans in Frankfurt would be disproportionate.
Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH) sued the state for exceeding limits in several municipalities.
In the Offenbach case, the proceedings were discontinued by the Administrative Court (VGH) in Kassel, the Ministry of Environment announced.
The background is the new clean air plan that was drawn up for Offenbach last October.
The DUH also stated that the aim of the lawsuit had been achieved.
The plan meets the minimum legal requirements, said a spokesman.
In Limburg the negotiation before the VGH is still pending, there is no date yet.
According to the annual balance, the NO2 values fell year-on-year at the traffic-loaded measuring points in DARMSTADT by twelve micrograms per cubic meter, which according to the information means a decrease of 26 percent.
In LIMBURG, the concentration fell by an average of around seven micrograms per cubic meter (minus 16 percent).
In FRANKFURT, the exposure decreased by 22 percent (ten micrograms).
At the Main Quay, which has meanwhile been closed to cars, the average decline was almost 40 percent.
OFFENBACH and WIESBADEN were therefore able to record declines of 15 and 17 percent.
In ALSFELD, the values even fell by 46 percent due to a construction site-related change in traffic.
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© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210219-99-512594 / 3
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