Gypsum deposits in the southern Harz: Knauf drilled - environmental association raises the alarm!

Gypsum deposits in the southern Harz: Knauf drilled - environmental association raises the alarm!

Mansfeld-Südharz, Deutschland - The current developments related to the GIPS test drilling of the Knauf Gips KG in the Mansfeld-Südharz district bring both progress and legal challenges. As the Nordthüringer online newspaper , the first bores have achieved promising results that confirm the assumptions about rich plastering in this region. On the initiative of the state government of Saxony-Anhalt, those responsible are calling for further investigations into securing raw materials. André Materlik, the plant manager, emphasized the compliance with strict environmental requirements and the implementation of the holes without exception on dirt roads, accompanied by a comprehensive compatibility study that excludes negative effects on protected habitats.

Legal dispute over environmental issues

Not everyone involved agrees to the holes. The BUND for the Environment and Nature Conservation Germany has filed an urgent application to stop the work. The environmental association fears dangerous interventions in sensitive natural spaces and criticizes the implementation methods of the trial bores, which in his opinion represent a violation of participant rights and a poor environmental impact assessment. The court now expects a statement from the district as to whether the holes will be stopped for the time being. Until the clarification of these legal questions, the future of plaster deposits in the southern Harz remains uncertain.

Overall, the challenges that can occur in sensitive natural areas are emerging. While the holes in the eyes of the operators are considered legally permissible, the resistance of numerous environmental associations is in the room and could significantly impair the plans of the Knauf Gype KG.