The Ombudsman Calls for Restarting the Air Monitoring Network Station in Dorog City

The termination or suspension for an extended period of air sampling at certain parts of the air monitoring network by the state jeopardize the right to a healthy environment and access to public information. 

Data measured with automatic instrumentation at the local station of the Hungarian Air Quality Network located in the industrial area of Dorog city have not been updated in the last year –  informed a complainant ombudsman Máté Szabó. According to the competent Ministry of Regional Development, data supply was interrupted due to technical reasons while the local environment inspectorate argued that long term interruption was a result of financial problems. The Mayor of Dorog city said that the city has done a lot in order to improve environmental conditions, yet morbidity and mortality rates in the city and its area are still very bad. 

The commissioner for fundamental rights has emphasized in his report that the state's institutional obligation to protect the right to a healthy environment can be fulfilled through ensuring the legal and financial instruments to the operation and maintaining the local air monitoring network station. The air monitoring station has been shut down for about a year and a half, which is unacceptable and the date of its restarting is uncertain, yet. Thus, regular air pollution evaluation is impossible, the public is not provided with adequate information and emergency situations cannot be handled properly. Therefore, Máté Szabó has asked the government to take immediate action in order to restart and ensure the adequate operation of the air monitoring station.