Possible Illegal Waste Dumping in Lower Austria: Landfill Temporarily Closed

During an unannounced on-site inspection in the morning, "material that does not meet the requirements for landfilling" was discovered, according to the Department of Environmental and Plant Law of the state. An immediate threat to the groundwater was ruled out. Further investigations are being carried out.

In connection with the landfill, there had previously been indications of incorrect disposal of residual waste at the office of the Lower Austrian state government. The inspection on site started early Thursday morning, including business interruption, test digging, as well as interrogations and questioning.

Decision on Clearance Will Be Made After Further Investigations

"According to the authority, the operation of the landfill and the interim storage will be closed until the completion of extensive investigations in the entire landfill area," was emphasized in a written statement after the inspection. After further investigations, it will be decided whether and which areas of the landfill may need to be cleared. According to the information, the extent of the possibly illegally dumped waste was initially not estimable. "However, it is likely to be a larger quantity," it was noted.

"Rigorous intervention by our authorities has led to the closure to check the suspected cases and to protect the environment and people," emphasized Lower Austria's deputy governor Stephan Pernkopf (ÖVP) in a statement. "After indications of a possible illegal disposal of municipal waste at a landfill in St. Pölten, we immediately asked the responsible authorities in Lower Austria to carry out a comprehensive control to fully clarify the situation," reacted Climate Protection Minister Leonore Gewessler (Greens). "We must not tolerate such environmental sins."

Criticism and Demands from Greenpeace

According to Greenpeace, the inspection is based on evidence collected by the environmental organization. "Since October, the investigative team from Greenpeace has been on site repeatedly and has documented how untreated amounts of residual and bulky waste from households and businesses are being buried in the landfill area," it was announced in a press release. In addition to the precautionary closure for the operation, the "excavation of the buried residual waste and the subsequent professional disposal" was demanded.

On an area of more than 15,000 square meters, several thousand tons of waste had been dumped within a few weeks, according to Greenpeace. "The proportion of untreated residual waste must be clarified by the authorities." The environmental organization described the events as "scandalous and unprecedented" and demanded the quickest possible clarification from state politics. For the Greens in St. Pölten, the temporary closure of the landfill marks an "important turning point".

(APA/Red)

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