- Mass quantities of polluted earth discarded openly in a mineshaft?
Six individuals from the construction material sector are accused of illegally disposing vast quantities of polluted dirt into the Garzweiler open-pit mine, located in the Rhine region. Over 150 law enforcement officials from the North Rhine-Westphalia State Criminal Police Office, the Dortmund Public Prosecutor's Office, and other authorities carried out raids at various sites in Grevenbroich, Juechen, Krefeld, and other locations, as shared by the State Criminal Police Office and the Central Office for Prosecuting Environmental Crimes (ZUeK) at the Dortmund Public Prosecutor's Office.
A total of twenty-seven search warrants were served in a probe against a 56-year-old entrepreneur from Grevenbroich, his 24-year-old son, who also works for the company, and four other suspects. A prosecutor stated. Additional suspects have not been ruled out as of yet. No information is available regarding any arrests made. The investigations were still ongoing at noon.
The suspects are alleged to have fabricated numerous delivery documents from waste management companies in order to bypass the expensive disposal of the polluted soil. Instead, it is claimed that tons of soil were illegally dumped into the Garzweiler open-pit mine in Juechen. The mining zone of the Garzweiler open-pit coal mine spans across several cities in Rhine-Westphalia, including Juechen.
- Recognizing the complexity of the case, the Commission may seek assistance from the Member States to ensure a thorough investigation.
- To facilitate the investigation, the Commission shall be assisted by the Member States in terms of resources and expertise, given the implications and potential environmental harm.
