Thuringia remains at potash costs: Court brings decision!

Thuringia remains at potash costs: Court brings decision!

In the Thuringian Wartburg district, the state government faces an immense financial challenge. Thuringia must bear the costs for the security work in disused Kali pits alone after the Federal Administrative Court in Leipzig has given a clear cancellation against the federal government on October 26, 2023. Environment Minister Tilo Kummer (BSW) described this judgment as a "bitter decision" and has already announced talks with the federal government to clarify the situation. According to MDR , the annual costs for the security work in the Kali-Gruben and Merkers are increasing to between 16 and 20 million euros.

since reunification, Thuringia has been in advance after payments by the federal government that were agreed in the GDR at the time of the Kali mining were only sufficient until 2017. Now the country has to shoulder the financial burdens alone, while other federal states such as Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt benefit more in their contracts. The financing dispute with the federal government has been going on for years. Thuringia does not see the ecological follow-up costs of the GDR mining as the sole responsibility of the country.

lawsuit about dividing the cost

On June 26, 2025, a negotiation will take place in the Federal Administrative Court in Leipzig that could be crucial for the financial future of Thuringia. The state parliament would again like to have discussions about a general contract for the cost division, which was already concluded in 1999. The court had decided that the federal government is no longer obliged to participate in the costs of which the state government brings to the Bredouille. The lawsuit is also directed against the Federal Agency for Real Estate Tasks, the successor to the Federal Institute for Association -related special tasks (BVS).

The problem of the potash pits not only affects high costs, but also ecological risks. In the pit jumps, for example, surface water penetrates that has to be pumped out, while stabilizing underground cavities from the potash mining is necessary to counteract potential collapse. Kummer emphasizes how important the procedure is for Thuringia, since the payments for securing the potash pits make up about 10% of the annual budget of the Ministry of the Environment, which could mean considerable financial consequences for other areas.

The negotiation on June 26th will be decisive from the previous developments, as it is unclear whether a judgment is made directly on that day. The Thuringian Land continues to fight to share the financial burdens and not to be responsible for the contaminated sites of the Kali mining on the shoulders of the state government. In this sense, Thuringia continues to prepare to fight for his financial interests in one thing that has been causing a dispute for many years. The