The deepening of the Elbe river can be realized. Since Thursday, there is no legal hurdle – the Federal administrative court has approved the construction. The inferior environmental organisations have nevertheless achieved a lot.
Leipzig (dpa) – The controversial deepening of the Elbe has cleared the last legal hurdle. The Federal administrative court in Leipzig rejected the appeal by environmentalists against the amended plans for the large-scale project on Thursday.
“The Plan amendments are not objectionable,” explained the Chairman of the 7. Senate, Andreas Korbmacher, the decision (Az.: BVerwG 7 A 1.18).
This is an Expansion of the Elbe legally in the way. The planning for this had begun before the age of 18 years. Numerous lawsuits were stopped large-scale project again and again. The river should be expanded in the future giant Container ship can achieve with a draught of up to 13.50 metres irrespective of the tide and up to 14.50 meters on the flood tide at the port of Hamburg. In addition, better ways should be created that the ships can pass each other when going in and out.
The Federal administrative court had declared in 2017, the plan-approval decision, because of of individual defects to be illegal and not enforceable. At the heart of the strictly protected Hemlock Water dropwort, which occurs only at the Elbe. The planner to be improved and the Hamburg water works were held for up to two meters high, Umbelliferae in two of the old sedimentation basins to a new home. “The effectiveness of this alternative area for the Senate,” said judge Korbmacher. The settling tank is also suitable from the location, to secure the Population.
The coalition for action “Living the tidal Elbe” brought together environmental associations Nabu, BUND and WWF to doubt that the interventions in nature can be compensated with the measures provided for effectively. “The decision is a milestone for the destruction of the nature”, – said the expert of freshwater at WWF Germany, Beatrice Claus, according to the announcement. The improvements are not suitable to secure the Hemlock Water dropwort and its habitat.
Despite the negative decision, the environmental groups have reached with the action a lot, stressed Manfred Braasch, managing Director of the CONFEDERATION of Hamburg. To “the beginning of the planning, so many mistakes have been made. The delay in the construction of extremely. I assume that in the future, in the case of large projects, the requirements of the environmental protection and nature conservation be respected.”
notice of the court
