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Thuringia remains stuck with potash costs: court makes decision!
Thuringia alone has to bear the costs of renovating old potash mines. A ruling by the Federal Administrative Court will decide this.
Thuringia remains stuck with potash costs: court makes decision!
In the Thuringian Wartburg district, the state government is facing an immense financial challenge. Thuringia must bear the costs of safety work in disused potash mines alone after the Federal Administrative Court in Leipzig clearly rejected a lawsuit by the state against the federal government on October 26, 2023. Environment Minister Tilo Kummer (BSW) described this ruling as a “bitter decision” and has already announced talks with the federal government to clarify the situation. Loud MDR The annual costs for the safety work in the Springen and Merkers potash mines are between 16 and 20 million euros.
Since reunification, Thuringia has made advance payments after federal payments, which were agreed during the time of potash mining in the GDR, only lasted until 2017. Now the state has to shoulder the financial burden alone, while other federal states such as Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt benefit from more advantageous clauses in their contracts. The financing dispute with the federal government has dragged on for years. However, Thuringia does not see the ecological follow-up costs of GDR mining as the state's sole responsibility.
Lawsuit for cost sharing
On June 26, 2025, a hearing will take place in the Federal Administrative Court in Leipzig that could be decisive for Thuringia's financial future. The state parliament would like to hold talks again about a general contract for cost sharing, which was concluded in 1999. The court had decided that the federal government was no longer obliged to contribute to the costs, which put the state government in trouble. The lawsuit is also directed against the Federal Agency for Real Estate Tasks, the successor to the Federal Agency for Special Tasks Related to Associations (BvS).
The problem of potash mines not only concerns high costs, but also ecological risks. For example, in the Springen pit, surface water penetrates and needs to be pumped out, while the stabilization of underground cavities from potash mining is necessary to counteract potential collapses. Kummer emphasizes how important the procedure is for Thuringia, as payments for securing the potash mines represent approximately 10% of the Environment Ministry's annual budget, which could have significant financial consequences for other areas.
Based on developments so far, the hearing on June 26th will be crucial, as it is unclear whether a verdict will be reached on that day. The Thuringian state continues to fight to share the financial burden and not to let the responsibility for the legacy of potash mining fall solely on the shoulders of the state government. With this in mind, Thuringia continues to make preparations to fight for its financial interests in a matter that has been a source of controversy for many years. The provides more details on this topic star as well as In southern Thuringia.