The Bund Naturschutz (BN) is suing against a sewage pipe that has already been laid in Königssee. The the German press agency The present lawsuit is directed against the approval decision of the district office. In it, the conservationists argue that it cannot be ruled out that the line will significantly affect habitats and animal species with protected status. The administrative court in Munich confirmed receipt of the lawsuit – but there is still no date for the oral hearing. Several media had previously reported.
Background: Because the old pipe had a leak, a new sewage pipe had to be laid in Königssee. According to the Bavarian Palace Administration, up to 5,000 people travel by boat to the pilgrimage church of St. Bartholomä on the Königssee peninsula, which is surrounded by mountains. The waste water generated by the tourists has to be brought to the mainland about five kilometers from the peninsula, because there is no sewage treatment plant on the peninsula. In the meantime, the sewage was collected in the area of the church and regularly transported across the lake in a tank. Then there was a temporary line.
Parts of a sewage pipe for the Königssee lie rolled up on a pontoon before being laid.
(Photo: Kilian Pfeiffer/dpa)
At the end of October, special pontoons laid the kilometer-long plastic pipe that replaces the temporary solution in less than 24 hours. There was no official announcement of the date of the two million dollar undertaking. The nature conservation associations are planning to sit down with representatives of the municipality of Schönau am Königssee and the district office in January. The lawsuit will still be taken, it said.
Among nature conservation representatives, the Königssee is considered an area that is extremely worthy of protection, in which various protected areas such as FFH area, national park, biosphere reserve and EU bird sanctuary exist side by side. According to the argument, the project should therefore have been examined comprehensively from the point of view of nature conservation law – with a corresponding lead time.