Not Optimal
The Government Council discussed the smoke cloud drifting over the country, and the communication around it, at its meeting on Monday.
According to Environment Minister Serge Wilmes' own analysis, the communication was "not optimal". Experts from his ministry are also represented on the interministerial cell now evaluating the situation caused by the fires in the High Fens.
The existing scenarios and protocols for responding to air pollution, Wilmes explained, are tailored to urban traffic and industrial emissions. Officials had been caught off guard by an entirely new phenomenon.
"Several things could have been handled better", Wilmes said, "and that would feed into the way communication develops from today onwards."
The Government Council had given a clear instruction, he added, that everything should be taken into account once and for all, so that when similar episodes occur in future, the authorities can also reach the public more effectively.
In future, the "meng Loft" ("My air") app should also display hourly air-quality readings. On top of that, consideration is being given to setting up fine-dust monitoring stations in the north of the country. So far, there are only two in the capital, one in Esch-sur-Alzette, and one in Beidweiler.
Firefighting aircraft at Findel?
There has also been debate about Luxembourg's own aerial firefighting capacity. Wilmes is in favour of building this up. Back in April, he had already spoken to his Belgian counterpart about setting up a larger scheme with neighbouring countries.
He said he would now raise the issue with Home Affairs Minister Leon Gloden and Prime Minister Luc Frieden. The idea is that Benelux, France, and Germany could jointly acquire firefighting aircraft, stationed in Luxembourg at Findel airport.
The European Union offers a 75% subsidy where a member state can make the case for needing firefighting aircraft. Given what the country has just experienced, Wilmes suggested, that case should be quite straightforward to make.
Forest fires on the doorstep, a cloud of smoke drifting over the country, and Belgium's recent request for Luxembourg firefighting helicopters may have quietly nudged the debate along.
"Not optimal" is doing a lot of work in that sentence. The protocols were built for traffic and factories, not burning peat bogs. Now Luxembourg might get its own firefighting planes, 75% paid by the EU. The smoke was bad, but the timing might be good.