The action committee "save the peace" was established by residents on April 12th 2004 with the objective to stop the planned expansion the HondaPark in Olmen (Balen, Belgium): in size, opening hours and the number of practiced sports. Furthermore, we requested a reduction of the noise and noise-free weekend days. The first objective was achieved, the 2nd miserably not!
We have nothing against the motorsport, but find the location in Olmen wrong: 500m from a EU Habitat Directive site (BE2100040) and even closer to the Nature Reserve "Gerheserheide"! The track was moved initially from "Keiheuvel" to "Scheps" where a piece of agricultural area was illegally de-forested. Later on this offense was settled & licensed for 20 years and this to favor Mr. Eric Geboers, multiple MX world champion who owns the land!
Meanwhile volunteers of Hondapark themselves admit that the noise is getting worse (Motor Gazette March 17, 2014), the circuit owners in Belgium admit that there is no proper noise control (nl.motocrossmag.be 10/11/2013), the governement is not succeeding to create circuits in industrial area's like seaports (but would be allowed inbetween nature reserves ??) and world champions such as Joel Smets give motorcross only a future in densly populated regions like Flanders if they switch to EMX (sporza 11/28/2014).
On February 17th 2015 a "hate attack" took place on our website, facebook community page and twitter account. There were insults and even death threats were uttered.
For all these reasons "save the peace" continues to strive on having noise-free weekends at regular intervals, an open communication and operation of the HondaPark in line with the local (VLAREM) legislation. By the end of the existing environmental permit we want a disappearance of the noise nuisance sport in this fragile ecological area.
We have nothing against the motorsport, but find the location in Olmen wrong: 500m from a EU Habitat Directive site (BE2100040) and even closer to the Nature Reserve "Gerheserheide"! The track was moved initially from "Keiheuvel" to "Scheps" where a piece of agricultural area was illegally de-forested. Later on this offense was settled & licensed for 20 years and this to favor Mr. Eric Geboers, multiple MX world champion who owns the land!
Meanwhile volunteers of Hondapark themselves admit that the noise is getting worse (Motor Gazette March 17, 2014), the circuit owners in Belgium admit that there is no proper noise control (nl.motocrossmag.be 10/11/2013), the governement is not succeeding to create circuits in industrial area's like seaports (but would be allowed inbetween nature reserves ??) and world champions such as Joel Smets give motorcross only a future in densly populated regions like Flanders if they switch to EMX (sporza 11/28/2014).
On February 17th 2015 a "hate attack" took place on our website, facebook community page and twitter account. There were insults and even death threats were uttered.
For all these reasons "save the peace" continues to strive on having noise-free weekends at regular intervals, an open communication and operation of the HondaPark in line with the local (VLAREM) legislation. By the end of the existing environmental permit we want a disappearance of the noise nuisance sport in this fragile ecological area.
Best-in-class Practices.
In Belgium (Flanders) MX Organisations, Track owners as well as the government are poor in making changes in sustainability of motocross, resulting in closure of tracks. Remaining tracks (4!) have a 20year permit, so it's not on their "radar" yet. As action-group "Red de Rust" we have collected best practices ourselves to start a discussion. We refer to our webpage bbt-plicht (perhaps you can google-translate it). Summarized these practices relate to 3 main area's :
1. "Tackle the noise at the source"
- Apply the KNMV 94dB(A) pass-by or FIM 114dB(A) 2mmax noise rules (even go for 2db more quiet, as this is feasible) to screen for noise-excessive bikes ;
- Differentiate between 2-stroke and 4-stroke bikes with separate noise limits : the noise produced by 4-strokes travels further... The AMA 2015 Racing Rulebook (p209) is covering this, the FIM-Europe "2015 Motocross Technical Rules" not ! In some classes it is even allowed that 4-strokes are 2db(A) louder ! ;
- Install a continuous measurement of the noise produced by each driver on the track, using the Munisense/MyLaps system (http://www.fim-europe.com/index.php/press/fim-europe-news/21-motocross-news/379-new-automated-system-for-the-measurement-of-noise-emissions-in-motocross-tracks-by-mylaps). See also this on YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mR2psTiilNc. The FIM 2mmax test at 114db(A) equals to the KNMV 94db(A) pass-by test at 7.5m distance... Ideally we would like this to be combined with a noise measurement outside the track, measuring the noise pollution in line with the EU "Environmental Noise Directive (END)" 2002/49/EC. Examples can be found in the Netherlands : Lelystad (http://gill.geluidsnet.nl/geluidradar/) en Alkmaar (http://geluidssysteemalkmaar.nl/geluidssysteem) ;
- Switch to Electric MX (EMX)
2. "Stop the distribution of noise"
- Location-location-location : (re)locate tracks in locations where noise is already present) ;
- Screening - noise attenuation design : 25-foot (7.5m) high dirt berms surrounding the track have been proven in many locations to be an effective barrier to sound propagation, reducing the noise by 7-15dB (using shipping containers as barrier even 20dB).
3. "Take organizational measures reducing the nuisance"
- Number of drivers simultaneous on the track : The (UK) Amateur Motor Cycle Association has found from experience that limiting the number of vehicles in a motocross race significantly reduces the noise levels escaping from the site. This is just basic physics !
- Location of warmup & noise tests (if static) ;
- Opening hours (days) ;
- Public Announcement systems ;
- Access to track (traffic).
In Belgium (Flanders) MX Organisations, Track owners as well as the government are poor in making changes in sustainability of motocross, resulting in closure of tracks. Remaining tracks (4!) have a 20year permit, so it's not on their "radar" yet. As action-group "Red de Rust" we have collected best practices ourselves to start a discussion. We refer to our webpage bbt-plicht (perhaps you can google-translate it). Summarized these practices relate to 3 main area's :
1. "Tackle the noise at the source"
- Apply the KNMV 94dB(A) pass-by or FIM 114dB(A) 2mmax noise rules (even go for 2db more quiet, as this is feasible) to screen for noise-excessive bikes ;
- Differentiate between 2-stroke and 4-stroke bikes with separate noise limits : the noise produced by 4-strokes travels further... The AMA 2015 Racing Rulebook (p209) is covering this, the FIM-Europe "2015 Motocross Technical Rules" not ! In some classes it is even allowed that 4-strokes are 2db(A) louder ! ;
- Install a continuous measurement of the noise produced by each driver on the track, using the Munisense/MyLaps system (http://www.fim-europe.com/index.php/press/fim-europe-news/21-motocross-news/379-new-automated-system-for-the-measurement-of-noise-emissions-in-motocross-tracks-by-mylaps). See also this on YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mR2psTiilNc. The FIM 2mmax test at 114db(A) equals to the KNMV 94db(A) pass-by test at 7.5m distance... Ideally we would like this to be combined with a noise measurement outside the track, measuring the noise pollution in line with the EU "Environmental Noise Directive (END)" 2002/49/EC. Examples can be found in the Netherlands : Lelystad (http://gill.geluidsnet.nl/geluidradar/) en Alkmaar (http://geluidssysteemalkmaar.nl/geluidssysteem) ;
- Switch to Electric MX (EMX)
2. "Stop the distribution of noise"
- Location-location-location : (re)locate tracks in locations where noise is already present) ;
- Screening - noise attenuation design : 25-foot (7.5m) high dirt berms surrounding the track have been proven in many locations to be an effective barrier to sound propagation, reducing the noise by 7-15dB (using shipping containers as barrier even 20dB).
3. "Take organizational measures reducing the nuisance"
- Number of drivers simultaneous on the track : The (UK) Amateur Motor Cycle Association has found from experience that limiting the number of vehicles in a motocross race significantly reduces the noise levels escaping from the site. This is just basic physics !
- Location of warmup & noise tests (if static) ;
- Opening hours (days) ;
- Public Announcement systems ;
- Access to track (traffic).