Environmental organization defends itself against lithium mining in Carinthia!

Environmental organization defends itself against lithium mining in Carinthia!

On December 27, 2024, the environmental organization Virus, the municipality of Deutschlandsberg and the Water Association Koralm lodged a complaint against the negative decision on the environmental impact assessment (RRP) for the lithium mining project in Koralpe. According to spokesman Wolfgang Rehm, serious defects in the decision were found, which underpin the concerns about the use of dangerous chemicals such as river acid and the associated environmental risks. Rehm emphasizes that the requirements for the qualitative assessment in the area of ​​fabric electricity management have not been met and warns of possible negative consequences for drinking water supply, especially in Styria. The project, originally launched under great expectations, now provides for processing in Saudi Arabia, which violates EU requirements for sustainable raw materials, such as ksn.gv.at

The procedure also includes the legal framework of the RRP in accordance with the environmental impact assessment law 2000, which should ensure that projects potentially take into account significant environmental effects. There are a total of 89 types of projects under the UVP reservation, which means that not only the type of project, but also its location conditions, are relevant for determining whether a comprehensive examination is required. In the event of approval, the responsible authorities have the obligation to precisely evaluate the environmental influences and, if necessary, reject the project if there are essential risks to the environment.

The current symptom period ends today and with the submission of the complaint, the case is now going to the Federal Administrative Court. These decisions could have far -reaching consequences for the planned lithium reduction activities that are already in public discussion. The statements of Rehm raise questions about the transparency and the environmental law responsibility of the project operators, while the region continues to look forward to the judicial decision.