Farmers defend themselves against new water drainage at the SPZ cement plant Eiberg

Farmers defend themselves against new water drainage at the SPZ cement plant Eiberg

The debate about the seepage waters from the landfill at the Eiberg cement plant in Schwoich takes on new forms. On November 21, an oral hearing took place in Söll, in which the citizens' initiative warned of a worrying topic: the planned derivation of landfill seed waters that could result from the upcoming use as a building dial end. This situation also affects the originally approved derivation only from surface waters.

The company Rohrdorfer Environmental Technology GmbH, operator of the cement plant, has requested a change to the previous approval. This was done because the new plans require an adaptation of the drainage situation to the latest standards. The responsible persons assert that the amount of the derived water should remain the same, but the citizens' initiative fears a significant change in the quality of the water that could be derived in the future. The critical point is that in the future seepage could be derived from the landfill with highly contaminated materials, while previously only harmless surface water.

a sensitive topic for the residents

The place Schwoich is badly affected due to these developments, since there have been complaints about inadequate drainage for years. The citizens' initiative criticizes the fact that affected property owners and residents have only accidentally learned about the negotiation and were not actively invited to participate. They say that disregard for their rights and the existing contracts between the cement plant and the property owners is unacceptable.

criticism is also available from the size of the seepage basin, which is not considered sufficient to cope with the amounts of water in heavy rain. Local residents report that the pool has been overflowing for decades and that the water flows into surrounding fields. The citizens' initiative therefore calls for a comprehensive assessment of the situation and an opening for the residents, since many of them take care of the floor quality and groundwater level.

The authority in turn emphasizes that everyone involved was informed about the negotiation, which the BI is very questioned. A strong conflict between the interests of the company and the concerns of the residents seems inevitable.

The next steps

The state environmental talent is now informed about the results of the negotiation and has the opportunity to comment on it. Schwoich's mayor, Peter Payr, makes it clear that the community strives to strictly monitor the requirements of the operating company. A central concern remains that the residents have no damage.

In view of the concerns about the possible pollution of water resources and the inadequate information of those affected, it will be about how the water quality can be secured in the coming weeks and months. If the application is approved, the residents are required to safeguard their rights through complaints and other legal means.

The discussion about the landfill in Schwoich and the situation around the seepage waters remains tense, especially since the citizens' initiative vehemently wants to defend itself against a possible approval of the new plans. The concerns about the water quality and compliance with the contracts will continue to be an issue in the coming weeks, while the residents are looking for ways to defend their point of view.

For deeper information on these developments, the extensive reporting www.meinbezirk.at referred .