PostedMay 14, 2022, 8:42 p.m.
Gathered in assembly in Martigny, the members of the Initiative of the Alps adopted a text which calls for the prohibition of the transport of dangerous goods via the Valais pass.
Members of the Initiative des Alpes on Saturday in Martigny.
DR
Every year, 11,000 heavy goods vehicles loaded with dangerous goods cross the Simplon Pass (2,000 meters above sea level), while a rail tunnel would make it possible to transport their freight much more safely. Faced with this observation, the members of the Initiative des Alpes, meeting in assembly on Saturday in Martigny, unanimously adopted a resolution asking the Federal Council and the Valais government to ban the transport of dangerous goods through this pass.
For years, the canton of Valais and the industries have not responded to the Federal Council’s request to protect the population by restricting the passage of dangerous goods through the Simplon Pass, criticizes the Alpine Initiative in a press release on Saturday. This transit endangers the entire region along the Rhône to Lake Geneva, she believes. And to remember that such transport is already prohibited in Grand-Saint-Bernard (VS / I), Gotthard (UR / TI) and San Bernardino (GR / TI).
Petition launched
The association, tired of waiting, launched a petition to ask the Valais government to reconsider the situation and to position itself in favor of a ban. The collection of signatures is in progress and will end at the end of July. It will be handed over to the Valais government in August in Sion.
It should also be noted that Jon Pult, president, and Marina Carobbio, vice-president, were confirmed in their respective functions on Saturday. Two newcomers from Valais are also joining the committee. They are Christophe Clivaz (53), Green national councilor and professor at the Institute of Geography and Sustainability at the University of Lausanne; and socialist Emmanuel Amoos (41), also a national councilor. On the other hand, the national councilor and former co-president of the Greens, Regula Rytz, leaves the committee after nine years of activities and joins the Council of the Alps.
(cht/comm)