Toxic waste scandal in Oldenburg: Clarifying reports or cover-up?

Toxic waste scandal in Oldenburg: Clarifying reports or cover-up?

There is a lot of simmering in the heart of Oldenburg: the suspicious waste at the former air base continues to cause a lot of excitement. Under the critical eye of the public prosecutor's office, the city of Oldenburg has now commissioned the expert Georg Karfusehr from 'Groundsolution' to prepare a report on illegal waste disposal on this site. Karfusehr came to the conclusion that no dangerous substances were buried and there was no need for remediation. But the public prosecutor's office sees it differently: it speaks of pollutants that could contaminate waterways and soil, including asbestos and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) - a topic that heats up people's minds.

The tensions surrounding the air base extend far beyond technical reports. A construction worker has accused himself of dumping 15,000 tons of highly contaminated construction rubble. The construction rubble is said to contain bricks with tar deposits and even material containing asbestos. Almost 5,000 cubic meters of soil are also suspected of being contaminated with fuel. Amid these developments, the city of Oldenburg has denied the allegations and refused to conduct its own soil tests. Mayor Jürgen Krogmann (SPD) gave the all-clear in November 2022 based on a report from the city's land authority. This opposite mood brought the Greens into action in the city council, but their demands for access to files did not find fertile ground.

Investigations and suspicions

The investigation is in full swing: On Wednesday morning, the public prosecutor's office and the police searched the urban redevelopment area and also in the town hall as well as in private and business rooms in Bad Zwischenahn and North Rhine-Westphalia. Employees of the city's specialist service “Project Air Base” were also targeted, which raises further questions about the independence of the expert Karfusehr. His name has previously appeared in connection with the project, where he evaluated offers for renovation. Concerns arose because he is not considered a publicly appointed and sworn expert - a point that FDP councilor René Dittrich sharply criticized.

The proceedings are not only directed against individual people. Five suspects, including the managing director of a demolition company and a city employee, are suspected of being involved in a possible fraud and corruption affair. An external appraiser who acted for both sides is said to have issued invoices to the demolition company, even though he was officially appointed to control the city. A city employee is also accused of accepting money from an excavator operator, further complicating matters.

Legal issues and possible consequences

And what's next? The legislature has clear rules for environmental protection and the classification of violations, which range from administrative offenses to serious environmental crimes. Depending on the severity of the crime, these can be punished with fines or even imprisonment. The investigations by the Oldenburg public prosecutor's office are still ongoing, and it remains to be seen how many of the allegations made can be verified.

The city of Oldenburg is planning to develop a new district for 3,000 people on the site of the former air base. Renovation measures to date have already cost over 20 million euros, and marketing of the areas is slow. Amid these uncertainties, the question remains whether all of the above-mentioned concerns against the city administration and those responsible for the project can be addressed or whether we may have to expect further surprises in the future. The **Environmental Committee** and the **Public Prosecutor's Office** are monitoring the situation, the pendulum continues to swing between hope and doubt.

Further information on possible environmental crimes can be found at Federal Environment Agency. The developments in Oldenburg also remain exciting: NDR and taz continue to report.