Did the residents have anything to say about the exemption?
This case concerned not only the environmental permit, but also an exemption. In short: the residents group lives along the Merwede Canal, where normally no ships are allowed to moor. This is only allowed if Rijkswaterstaat – which manages this water – grants an exemption. Rijkswaterstaat gave a ‘go’ to the exemption for two reasons: the ship was not too long and other ships can pass there without any problems.
Did the residents have anything to say about the exemption? The judge rules not. The reason: they may live in the vicinity of the canal, but they are not users of the water. And so Rijkswaterstaat’s exemption was justified, according to the judge.