K+S plans to discharge wastewater into the Werra by 2039 – environmentalists alarmed!

K+S plans to discharge wastewater into the Werra by 2039 – environmentalists alarmed!

The plans of the Kassel-based fertilizer company K+S to continue discharging production wastewater into the Werra beyond 2027 are causing a stir. Originally, the company only wanted to discharge dump water from 2028. A spokesman for K+S has now agreed to deviate from this plan and is questioning the envisaged environmentally friendly disposal. How thueringen.de reported, the planned solution of stacking salt water in the Springen pit in Thuringia's Wartburg district has not been approved.

After a years-long approval process, the Kassel regional council did not give consent, forcing K+S to look for alternatives for disposing of the salt water. The differentiation between production and stockpile water apparently proves to be ineffective from a water ecological point of view. Increased pollution of the waters could have serious consequences, as declining disposal options could endanger K+S's production volume, which in the worst possible consequence could lead to shutdowns and thus to the loss of numerous jobs in the Hessian-Thuringian potash district.

Scoping procedures and public participation

The RP Kassel had one a few weeks ago Scoping procedures initiated for the intended discharge of process wastewater into the Werra. This procedure is intended to determine the scope of investigation for an environmental impact assessment (EIA) at an early stage and is an independent preliminary procedure.

A total of 198 public bodies, including authorities, municipalities and environmental associations, in five federal states from Philippsthal to Bremen are involved in the process. The aim is to identify and address possible concerns and suggestions about environmental impacts in the early planning phase. The application for a water permit procedure is to be submitted in the summer of 2026, with K+S's plans stipulating that the new permit to be applied for will run from 2028 to 2039.

The discharge plans are an ongoing issue in the conflict between K+S and the residents and environmentalists. Environmental groups fear damage to rivers, soils and groundwater. The BUND Hessen criticizes the fact that K+S does not present a reliable disposal concept and calls for a reduction in salt water pollution.

Despite all concerns, K+S has confirmed that it wants to maintain the currently set limit values ​​for chloride, potassium, magnesium and sulfate, which contradicts the current management planning of the FGG Weser. The decision on K+S's water law application will only be made at the end of the approval process in 2027.