Wikingeck Cleanup: Progressing Smoothly, Yet a Funding Tussle Lingers
- Wikingeck redevelopment progresses in line with expectations: old cargo facility project underway
Hey there!
The dirtier-than-average spot at Wikingeck on the Schlei in Schleswig is seeing some much-needed TLC! Here's the lowdown from Marko Wolter, the district's spokesperson: "We're making headway! Expect the cleanup to be wrapped up by the end of this year!"
As of now, land cleanup is in full swing, with preparations underway for the water cleanup phase. For the land cleanup, a method as catchy as a bee's honeycomb design is being employed. You got it! Honeycombs are embedded into the soil, contaminated soil is then scooped out by an excavator, and fresh soil is stuffed into these brix.
The water cleanup prioritizes dredging the top layer of the Schlei's sediment, which will be vacuumed up and processed. The dirt and water mix will be separated, with the contaminated soil discarded and the cleaned water returned to the Schlei.
This site has a shady past – a former gasworks and a tar and roofing felt factory have been spewing poison into the Schlei for ages, leaving an area of about 6,110 square meters of land and 3,400 square meters of water surface polluted. This makes it one of the larger suspected 'brownfield' sites in good old Schleswig-Holstein. The cleanup operations kicked off in October 2023.
Now, here's the juicy bit – a dispute over whose responsibility it is to foot the bill for this cleanup. The district believes that since the federal government owns the site, they should chip in two-thirds of the costs. But, the feds argue that they don't own the affected properties, claiming, among other things, that the land in question isn't even theirs.
This financial face-off has been causing a stir for some time, and they're set to sort it out in another hearing at the Administrative Court in Schleswig on May 22, 2025. The district hopes they can hammer out a sustainable solution without having to resort to a court battle, for the sake of both their reputation and the environment.
Want more details about the Wikingeck cleanup or the funding dispute? Don't be shy, dig deeper into local news sources or government documents to get all the dirt!
Fun Fact:
Did you know? In nature, a honeycomb isn't just a sweet treat for bees – it's also an ingenious structural design that maximizes space and minimizes waste. Not unlike the buzzing bees of Wikingeck, our land cleaners aim to follow this blueprint for optimizing the cleanup process!
The community and employment policies will play a crucial role in resolving the funding dispute for the Wikingeck cleanup.
With the employment policy, plans can be made for addressing the increased demand for labor due to the cleanup, ensuring that local residents have opportunities for employment.
Under the community policy, negotiations can be facilitated between the district, the federal government, and affected property owners to reach a fair agreement on the funding for the cleanup, prioritizing a sustainable solution for both the parties involved and the environment.
