Resistance to plans to stop pumping mine water

Several communities, local governments and regional parliaments in the small German state of Saarland oppose plans by hard coal mining foundation RAG-Stiftung to progressively reduce pumping mine water and let groundwater levels rise, Bernd Freytag reports for Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. There is no risk of communities in Saarland being flooded, he writes. However, according to critics, possible consequences include earthquakes, rising ground levels in affected areas, and pollution of drinking water. Mine water is one of the coal mining’s long-term liabilities, and pumping it out of the Saarland mines currently costs 18 million euros a year, according to RAG.

For background, read the CLEW factsheets When will Germany finally ditch coal?  and Coal in Germany.