Water – Frankfurt (Oder) – the court sees no danger from higher groundwater extraction – economy
Frankfurt/Oder (dpa/bb) – In contrast to environmental associations, the administrative court in Frankfurt (Oder) sees no danger in approving a higher volume of water in the region around the new Tesla factory. Despite a downward trend in groundwater stocks, “a sufficient area can be assumed to cover the withdrawal quantities,” says the written justification of a judgment of March 4 (VG 5 K 469/21) on the approval of water quantities in the Strausberg-Erkner water association, which was released on Tuesday. Even if increased water withdrawal is taken into account, it can be assumed that the groundwater body “remains in good quantitative status”.
The court had declared the approval for water withdrawal in the Eggersdorf waterworks to be illegal due to the lack of public participation in the application for an increase in the flow rate. A lawsuit by the Green League and the Brandenburg Nature Conservation Union against the State Office for the Environment was partially granted. However, the country continues to tolerate water pumping in full.
The court did not object to the 2020 water abstraction permit, which is to be valid for 30 years. At the same time, it rejected the positions of the environmental associations that the specially protected FFH area would be adversely affected and that a more extensive environmental impact assessment would have been necessary.
Tesla’s first electric car plant in Europe was opened in Grünheide on March 22nd. The water association Strausberg-Erkner has agreed a delivery of 1.8 million cubic meters per year with the car manufacturer. The legal dispute is about the intended increase in water withdrawal in Eggersdorf from 2.52 million to 3.76 million cubic meters per year. The water association and the environmental organizations only see the supply secured for the first expansion stage of the Tesla factory.
© dpa-infocom, dpa:220412-99-892031/2