Mining: Knauf clears hurdle on path to new gypsum mine

The construction materials manufacturer Knauf has cleared another hurdle in its bid to establish a new gypsum mine in the Allertheimer Mulde near Würzburg, Bavaria. The government of Lower Franconia has concluded its spatial suitability assessment, issuing a positive result for the project, which has faced significant controversy.

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This assessment is the result of an intensive review process. It is further technical confirmation for the project.

While the assessment suggests that gypsum mining will not pose unmanageable risks to the region's drinking water supply, provided specific conditions are met, a residual risk is acknowledged. The government stated that mining operations would need to cease if groundwater levels were to drop. Knauf plans to extract one million tons of gypsum annually for 50 years from the underground deposits.

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This assessment is the result of an intensive review process. It is further technical confirmation for the project.

Despite the positive assessment from the regional government, environmental advocates remain critical. Patrick Friedl, a state parliament member for the Green Party, expressed disappointment, arguing that the actual risks to the drinking water supply have been underestimated. He pointed to a lack of proof for a sufficiently impermeable barrier layer between the mine and the drinking water sources, and suggested that geological faults and fractured zones were not adequately considered in the assessment's models.

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The result is disappointing! The actual risk to the drinking water supply is incorrectly assessed.

The project has generated substantial public opposition, including over 4,300 public objections and an online petition with more than 5,600 signatures. The final decision on the mining permit rests with the North Bavarian Mining Authority and is not expected before the end of the year.

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There is a lack of proof for a sufficiently thick barrier layer between the mine and the drinking water.