How the Waste Industry Profits From a Nuclear Legacy investigation, revealed that companies from Germany, Austria and Italy continue to export millions of tons of waste to the Czech Republic, and some of it is hazardous. These findings have now been discussed by the Environment Committee of the North Rhine-Westphalia state parliament, at the initiative of René Schneider (Social Democratic Party).
More specifically, the meeting looked into alleged waste transports from several NRW towns (Nettetal, Eschweiler, Köln, Duisburg, Höxter) to Mydlovary and nearby villages in the Czech Republic between October and December 2024. Mydlovary is known for its old uranium sludge ponds and past contamination.
During the meeting, Environment Minister Oliver Krischer subsequently presented a report on ‘Waste shipments to the Czech Republic’. The conclusion seems to be that politicians and authorities in North Rhine-Westphalia do not have a very clear picture of what has been happening in Mydlovary.
At the same time, Laura Weber, a member of the Bavarian State Parliament, has raised the question about the situation in Mydlovary site with the Bavarian government, but is still waiting for answers.
‘Waste does not stop at borders – that is why we also need cross-border controls and uniform standards in the EU,’ said Ms. Weber.
The investigation was supported by the Environmental Investigative Journalism grant programme.
On the right: Old tyres and other rubber waste floating on the surface in one of the remaining uranium sludge ponds outside the Czech village of Mydlovary. Photograph by Michael Billig.
