Wollsdorf Leder
4 June 2008Hungary has demanded more stringent measures and fines on Austrian tanneries which the country claims are polluting the border River Raab. In view of the fact that the solutions agreed to by the Austrians have not yet been implemented, the Austrian ambassador has been summoned to the Hungarian Foreign Office. Since the end of January, the Raab has been filled with foam. Hungarian specialists have been monitoring the pollution and, according to Hungarian Environment Minister Gábor Fodor, the level of naphthalene-disulfonate – thought to be the cause of the foam on the Raab – has increased from 45 milligrams per litre in 2003 to 125 milligrams today. He alleged that this continual pollution was probably attributable to the Wollsdorf tannery, which he stated had frequently exceeded the permissible levels.
However, the amount of naphthalene-disulfonate discharged by the tanneries in Jennersdorf and Feldbach has fallen by about half. The reason for the reduced levels is that both factories are using a new tanning agent which has a lower impact on the water quality of the River Raab.
Greenpeace’s investigations arrived at slightly different conclusions. At the beginning of February, the environmental organisation took water samples at Wollsdorf and concluded that limits were not being exceeded. However, they detected ‘an extremely high quantity of the high-risk chemical 1,5 naphthalene disulfonate.’ According to Greenpeace chemist Herwig Schuster ‘1,5 naphthalene disulfonate is problematic as it is not biologically degradable and accumulates in the environment.’
As a result of the readings, Fodor called for more stringent sanctions to be taken against the factories concerned and said that urgent improvements need to be made to improve filter systems, and reduce or even shut down production by the companies concerned.
Experts in Styria attribute the new foam on the River Raab to the low water levels coupled with cold weather. Representatives of the relevant authorities in Styria and Burgenland emphasised that all aspects of the action plan agreed with Hungary last autumn had been complied with. The government had also tightened its emissions legislation.
Furthermore, rebuilding work at the Geothermie company in Fürstenfeld had begun, and a water quality improvement plan drawn up. Water quality is now being checked more frequently, and both the Wollsdorf and Boxmark leather factories have kept to their part of the agreement, developing projects which they had submitted to the Hungarians.
Despite this, Hungary wants the River Raab to be completely clean, to provide the border region a better quality of life and improved opportunities for tourism. Hungary’s foreign minister Kinga Göncz recently summoned the Austrian ambassador in Budapest, Ferdinand Mayrhofer-Grünbühel, to the foreign office to urge him to find a solution to the problem of the River Raab as quickly as possible. Göncz once again expressed her misgivings about the construction of a waste incineration plant in Heiligenkreuz. She believes that major investments with an inter-regional impact should be bilaterally agreed between neighbouring states so as to avoid unnecessary tension..
Source: http://www.wieninternational.at
