Risk of Fires

Fears of an Environmental Disaster at a Waste Tire Landfill

In Ohlsdorf, tempers are running high. A waste management company is allowed to bury mountains of used tires and is not required to haul them away.(Bild: Wolfgang Spitzbart)

A tire recycling company has been granted permission to bury 59,000 metric tons of used tires in Ohlsdorf and is not required to remove them. This has caused discontent and raised concerns, as the permitting authority cannot rule out the risk of fires. Years ago, the town already struggled with contaminated drinking water.

The “Krone” report on the backfilling of the scrap tire landfill in Ohlsdorf caused quite a stir. 59,000 metric tons of tires that have been stored for many years do not have to be disposed of but may be buried by the company ERG (Energetische Reifenverwertungs GmbH) under the federal Contaminated Sites Remediation Act. “People are right to ask if this is serious,” says State Environment Minister Stefan Kaineder (Greens), making no secret of his displeasure.

Clearance Was Mandated
Background: At the end of 2024, the company applied to have the cleanup of the tire storage site—which had been mandated by authorities as early as 2011—canceled and instead to leave the contaminated site permanently in the ground. “The authorities’ decision may fall within the current legal framework. But that doesn’t mean it’s the right thing to do from an environmental policy perspective. If a company can replace a cleanup that’s already been mandated with simply securing the landfill, then the federal legal framework governing this must be urgently revised,” Kaineder demands.

Municipality Opposes Backfilling
It is worth noting that the municipality of Ohlsdorf has explicitly advocated for complete cleanup during the proceedings. Years ago, a construction waste landfill not far from the tire storage site caused massive drinking water contamination.

The operators have made good money for many years by taking in used tires.

Stefan Kaineder, Umweltlandesrat

Kaineder is particularly critical of the fact that the project change is being justified on the grounds of economic difficulties. “If a lack of buyers or falling market prices lead to a complete remediation being downgraded to mere containment, that is cause for concern. The operators have made good money for many years by taking in used tires.” Discontent is also growing in the region, particularly because the authorities cannot rule out a residual risk of smoldering fires and are recommending extensive monitoring measures.