Legal dispute over poison pit in Brüchau: District is planning a lawsuit!

Legal dispute over poison pit in Brüchau: District is planning a lawsuit!

In a small town called Brüchau, in the Altmarkkreis Salzwedel, there is a lot of activity. The toxic sludge pit there, which has existed since the 1970s and has not been used for over a decade, is increasingly coming into the firing line of citizens' initiatives and politics. The situation calls for urgent action – and that is exactly what the district council is planning. It has unanimously decided to take legal action against the permit to secure toxic waste approved by the State Mining Authority. This reports MDR.

District Administrator Steve Kanitz (SPD) now sees himself as responsible for exploring how to proceed. He is checking whether he can prepare his own lawsuit against the state of Saxony-Anhalt or support the city of Kalbe/Milde. Surprisingly, Kanitz said there was little chance of success for a lawsuit filed by the district and instead wanted to focus on supporting Kalbe. He also announced that he would actively intervene with the state mining authority and the state parliament.

Citizens' initiative sounds the alarm

The citizens' initiative in Brüchau is a driving force in the conflict. They had already filed a criminal complaint against the state mining authority in advance. There is great concern about how the landfill is being managed. Many fear that the green solution would simply be to cover and bury the toxic sludge, rather than a thorough clearance. Hubert Wiegmann, a spokesman for the initiative, criticizes the repeated consolations of those responsible and emphasizes that the uncertainty about the safety of alternative solutions is unacceptable. In his opinion, it is essential to completely clear out the approximately 27,000 tons of waste, which contains, among other things, metallic mercury.

The dispute is also being hotly debated in the state parliament of Saxony-Anhalt. Last week the mood heated up when Economics Minister Sven Schulze (CDU) was described as a “liar” by representatives of the citizens’ initiative. In June 2020 it was unanimously decided to excavate the pit, but implementation is still a long time coming. The company Neptune Energy, the operator of the landfill, states that complete excavation is not feasible due to a lack of disposal options.

Costs and financing of the renovation

The dispute over the poison pit also brings with it financial questions. The excavation could cost up to 170 million euros, while encapsulating the toxic residue is estimated at 32 million euros. How n-tv reported, the renovation of the landfill will be largely financed by tax revenue.

However, the topic of waste management is not only becoming increasingly important in Brüchau. The Federal Environment Agency emphasizes that minimizing environmental impact and using waste as sensibly as possible are central goals of waste management. Healthy and sustainable waste management options are essential for all of our futures. It is important not only to pay attention to hazardous substances, but also to promote and develop environmentally friendly disposal methods.