Environment - Ruling: federal states must reduce nitrate pollution in the Ems
Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia must take better measures against nitrate pollution in the River Ems. The legal threshold value in the groundwater is exceeded many times over at many measuring points, the Higher Administrative Court of Lower Saxony (OVG) in Lüneburg announced on Thursday. "The previous program of measures shows deficits, as a result of which the defendant states are obliged to revise it," it said in the grounds for the ruling.
The lawsuit had been brought by Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH), which had already reported on the court's success after the hearing on November 21. The grounds now constitute an effective judgment. Due to the fundamental importance of the matter, the competent senate allowed an appeal against the decision.
According to the court, around 70 percent of the Ems River in Germany is located in Lower Saxony and around 30 percent in North Rhine-Westphalia. In the surrounding area, it is heavily characterized by intensive animal husbandry and arable farming. According to the court, this use must be changed so that the limit value for nitrate is reached as quickly as possible and a deterioration of the water status is prevented.
At the end of November, Umwelthilfe spoke of a good sign for groundwater and drinking water protection. The decision finally ensures that drinking water protection takes precedence over the profit interests of the meat industry, which is the cause of over-fertilization due to too many animals on too little land, said Federal Managing Director Sascha Müller-Kraenner at the time.
DUH statement OVG statement
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- The Ems River, which is primarily located in Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia, is heavily affected by intensive animal husbandry and agriculturally intense areas around it.
- The ruling from the Higher Administrative Court in Lüneburg, Germany, stated that the legal threshold value for nitrate in the groundwater is often exceeded significantly at multiple measuring points along the Ems River.
- As a result of the court's ruling, Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia are now required to revise their measures for reducing nitrate pollution in the Ems River, as the previous program showed deficiencies.
- The Ems River, which flows from Lower Saxony towards North Rhine-Westphalia, crosses through several regions and is close to areas of intensive agriculture, contributing to the high levels of nitrate pollution.
Source: www.stern.de
