The ecological consequences of potash mining are a heavy burden for the future and future generations
[Hessen] The Hessian Federation for Environment and Nature Conservation Germany (BUND Hessen) criticizes the renewed clearing permit for the K + S AG, formerly Kali und Salz AG, in Kassel. The clearing is a prerequisite for expanding the Hattorf residue dump and covers an area of 17.63 hectares. Jörg Nitsch, Chairman of BUND Hessen says: “The renewed clearing permit proves once again that the potash extraction by K + S is at the expense of the environment. Instead of a steady growth of the heaps, we demand that the material be moved underground. Then the forest would be spared and the problem of salt water disposal would not keep growing. “
The BUND criticizes the fact that K + S did not even apply for a greening of the pile for the new pile expansion. “K + S and the Ministry of the Environment have been promising for many years that the salty wastewater will be reduced by the greening of the heap. But the dump growth will continue to be approved without obliging the company to green the dump, ”complains Jörg Nitsch from BUND.
The BUND also criticizes the fact that the clearing permit accepted the forecasts of K + S on groundwater protection. In fact, however, the prognoses for the first section of the dump, which is already in operation, have proven to be incorrect.
The growth of the heaps increases the entry of saline wastewater into the environment, because the precipitation slowly dissolves the heaps
Compared to 2015, the dump volume is to be doubled again by the end of potash mining in 2060. According to the data from the Salt Management Plan 2021-2027 (pages 5-6), the waste water from the dump increased from 2.2 to 2.8 million cubic meters per year between 2015 and 2020. They are expected to increase further to 3.8 million cubic meters per year by 2028.
The BUND doubts that the measures planned by K + S to date for the greening of the heap will effectively reduce the amount of wastewater from the salt heaps. So far, there is no practice-ready technology for greening dumps with reliable findings on the reduction performance in saline wastewater, but rather a small-scale, ongoing trial operation.
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According to information from K + S, the expansion of the Hattorf dump will cover an area of around 80 hectares. Approval takes place in sections. The first section with an area of 27 hectares was approved on 10/10/2018. It should be exhausted by the end of 2023.
On November 12, 2018, BUND Hessen filed a lawsuit against the extension of the Hattorf dump at the Kassel Administrative Court because saline wastewater from this dump got into the groundwater and the Werra.
The ecological consequences of potash mining are a heavy burden for the future and future generations. Depending on the size of the heap, it will take around 1,000 years for the precipitation to dissolve and for no more saline wastewater to reach the Werra.
The clearance permit was granted by the RP Kassel on December 23rd, 2021 after K + S had submitted the application for an early start on November 2nd, 2021. The BUND, which had participated in the approval process for the stockpile expansion, received the decision on December 30th, 2021. The approval for the requested stockpile expansion for the next construction phase has not yet been granted.
Source: BUND Hessen
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