Thuringia in court: Who pays the potash costs? Decision is pending!

Thuringia in court: Who pays the potash costs? Decision is pending!

Thuringia is facing a crucial court date: on June 26, 2025, the Federal Administrative Court in Leipzig will hear whether the state must continue to bear the sole burden of costs for the safety work on disused potash mines. The financial burden is enormous and amounts to up to over 20 million euros annually, which flows to the mining company Kali+Salz in order to clean up extensive contaminated sites from the GDR era. This work is necessary to avoid potential collapse risks from the cavities resulting from potash mining. According to Antennen Thüringen, the outcome of the upcoming judgment is uncertain, but Environment Minister Tilo Kummer is hoping for the federal government to return to cost sharing after the previous contracts are deemed inadequate.

Thuringia has been making advance payments since 2017 because the cost forecasts from a general contract concluded in 1998 with the Federal Agency for Special Tasks Related to Unification do not come close to covering the actual financial outlay. While the urgently needed security work was originally expected to cost 675 million euros, the actual costs are now estimated at 750 million euros. Kummer emphasizes the significance of this issue for the country: “The payments represent a massive financial burden, which accounts for around 10% of our annual budget in the ministry,” he explains.

The dispute over financing

In response to the financial situation, Thuringia sued the Federal Constitutional Court to have the federal government contribute to the renovation costs, but this request was rejected. The Federal Constitutional Court found that Thuringia could not prove that there was a constitutional obligation to cover costs. A similar request from Saxony was also rejected, as Welt reported. The attitude of the federal government, which does not consider the current complaints to be sufficient, is being heavily criticized by Thuringian politicians.

Minister Tilo Kummer plans to put the issue back on the agenda, as the annual costs for the safety work in the Springen and Merkers mines are between 16 and over 20 million euros. The district association of the Greens in Thuringia is pushing for the federal government to finally take responsibility again. Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt already have more advantageous clauses in their general contracts for contaminated sites, which provide for better reimbursement of costs for suspected contaminated sites.

Worries about the future

It is not without reason that Thuringia speaks of impending “eternal costs”. The problem is exacerbated by additional difficulties, such as water intrusion in the jumping pit. This shows once again how important it is to quickly clarify the financing issue - not only for the country itself, but also for the future environment. Thuringia's Environment Minister Bernhard Stengele takes a clear position when he says: "The costs of removing contaminated sites must not be borne by the state alone." The pressure on the federal government is increasing because responsibility for the former GDR state-owned companies in need of restructuring remains an unresolved problem.

While the court will make a final decision, it remains to be seen whether Thuringia will finally get the support it needs back. The current situation is not only a financial but also an ecological dilemma that could have a significant impact on the future of the region.