Options for Waste Disposal in Potash Mining - The Werra-River-Pipeline

The decade-long discharge of saltwater from potash mining in the border area between the Federal States of Hesse and Thuringia into the river Werra led to a considerable contamination that left its traces in the water's flora and fauna. Currently, several possibilities are discussed so that any improvement in the water quality will not just have a selective, but a long-term and thorough effect; their legal admissibility is being analysed in a scientific opinion on behalf of the Round Table "Gewässerschutz Werra/Weser und Kaliproduktion" ("Werra/Weser River Water Protection and Potash Production"). One of the possibilities for discharge, which will serve to reduce the pollution in the rivers, is building a pipeline. In this process the German water legislation is of special importance, as its application has to comply with the European Water Framework Directive. Especially in this case, the directive's requirements pose great challenges to public authorities and industry on the way to a basically good ecological and chemical water quality until 2015.

Zusammenfassung des Rechtsgutachtes "Werra-Salz: Rechtliche Anforderungen an die Errichtung und Nutzung einer Rohrfernleitung zur Einleitung von Salzabwässern in Gewässer"
(Druckversion des Gutachtens erscheint 2010)