zeit.de
Germany Opens Massive Soil Remediation Plant
A large phytoremediation plant opened in Germany to clean the contaminated soil of a former Nazi munitions factory. The project is expected to last for decades.
German
Germany
HealthGermany Climate ChangeHistoryPollutionEnvironmental CleanupRemediation
Niedersächsisches UmweltministeriumLandkreis GoslarLandesamt Für BergbauEnergie Und Geologie (Lbeg)Unesco
Christian Meyer
- Describe the two-stage cleaning process employed by the plant.
- The remediation process involves two large basins; the first uses sunlight to clean the water photolytically, and the second uses reeds to further purify it. The cleaning process is expected to take decades.
- What type of remediation plant was opened in the Harz mountains?
- Europe's largest soil remediation plant has opened in the Harz mountains of Germany. The plant uses a phytoremediation method, employing water, sunlight, and reeds to clean contaminated soil from a former Nazi munitions factory.
- What is the historical significance of the site being remediated?
- The former munitions factory, code-named "Tanne," produced 100,000 tons of TNT during World War II using forced labor. The factory's buildings are hidden under pine trees.
- What is the plant's primary function, and what significant location does it protect?
- The plant, located near Clausthal-Zellerfeld, is designed to clean the soil and groundwater of the 110-hectare site, preventing polluted water from reaching the nearby Pfauenteiche ponds, part of a UNESCO World Heritage site.
- What is the estimated timeframe for the remediation process, and what is the broader context of this project within Germany?
- While this plant represents a significant step in cleaning up the site and other similar locations, there are still over 100,000 suspected contaminated sites in Lower Saxony that require investigation and remediation.