Polluter LEAG finally pays for sulphate contamination in Frankfurt's drinking water

Cottbus, 28.02.2023. The environmental network GRÜNE LIGA regrets that there will be no landmark ruling by the European Court of Justice on the Cottbus opencast lake for the time to come. LEAG and water supplier FWA have apparently agreed on a payment in millions, thus ending their legal dispute. Other proceedings concerning the Cottbus-Nord opencast mine, however, remain pending before the courts. The flooding of the lake continues to be interrupted repeatedly due to a lack of water.

"It was high time that the coal company, as the polluter of the sulphate pollution, at least pays for part of the consequential costs. Unfortunately, this avoids a fundamental clarification by the European Court of Justice as to what value drinking water extraction has over mining interests. In view of the foreseeable further consequential damage from its opencast mines, LEAG obviously wanted to avoid a court clarification." René Schuster of the GRÜNE LIGA comments on the reached agreement.

Commenting on today's visit of the Federal Minister of Economics to the coal company LEAG, the environmental network GRÜNE LIGA points out that an earlier coal phase-out is necessary and does not need the company's consent:

"LEAG's mining plans are absolutely incompatible with the 1.5 degree target. In view of the fact that the Nochten opencast mine has no permit whatsoever to operate after 2026, an earlier coal phase-out does not have to be bought off from LEAG with concessions. No more mining areas must be permitted whose consequential damage to the general public is incalculable," says René Schuster of the GRÜNE LIGA.

The GRÜNE LIGA Berlin e.V., together with a tip: tap, will present their activities in the context of the newly founded and cross-association Wassernetz Berlin at the Ökomarkt on Kollwitzplatz on 9 March 2023 (12-17 h). Here in the catchment area of the Stadtspree, we would also like to get into conversation with people interested in water bodies on the question of what can be done for water retention and rain infiltration in the neighbourhood.

The pilot project Wassernetz Berlin, financed by the LOTTO Foundation Berlin, was launched in Berlin on 20 January 2023. The aim of the project is, among other things, to present and support measures for the protection and ecological upgrading of watercourses and lakes in Berlin and to implement them on 19 watercourses themselves in order to preserve and restore the natural biodiversity of our watercourses, also in order to realise the goal of the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD) of achieving a "good ecological status of all watercourses in Europe".

To raise awareness and provide the general public with understanding tools, we and other partners in the Water Network organise dialogue events on this topic.
Discover more about the Water Network here: www.wassernetz-berlin.de

The new Nature Restoration Law proposed by the European Commission in June 2022, aimed at restoring ecosystems for people, climate and planet, will be put to a vote in the ENVI Committee in May 2023. In June 2023, the European Parliament will hold its plenary vote (mid-June).

In this context, the GRÜNE LIGA supports EEB's #RestoreNature campaign, which is pushing for the adoption of an ambitious law.

This law is fundamental to establish a governance framework in order to restore ecosystems that are particularly at risk, in order to increase climate change adaptation, ensure food security and the well-being of humankind and all forms of life on our planet. 

Member States will have to develop National Restoration Plans, including both area-based restoration targets and indicator-based restoration targets. This should allow for the establishment of an integrated approach to restoration on the European level.

 (The Havel River in Germany)

The main overarching objectives are the following:

• at least 20% of land- and sea-areas' restoration targets by 2030
• by 2050: having measures in place for ALL ecosystems in need of restoration

Between 18 and 20 January 2023, the annual meeting of the Living Lakes Network Germany and the Lakes Conference took place in Berlin, which had not been held for several years due to the pandemic.

The Living Rivers Foundation, Global Nature Fund (GNF), the GRÜNE LIGA and Living Lakes Germany were pleased to be able to bring together over 120 participants over three days.