According to the organizing citizens’ initiatives, around 200 people from Grünheide and the surrounding area expressed their displeasure at the expansion of the factory near Berlin on Saturday. The non-compliance with environmental standards, the second expansion stage and the expansion of the area by the US electric car manufacturer with the clearing of trees were criticized. Among the participants were the Brandenburg Green League, the Brandenburg Nature Conservation Union and the Grünheide Citizens’ Initiative. “The process of Tesla settlement was completely undemocratic,” said community representative Thomas Wötzel from the Grünheide Citizens’ Alliance. “We demand a public survey on the further development of Tesla at the Grünheide site.”
Tesla wants to increase its production in Grünheide. According to the company, the next expansion stage is currently being prepared on the existing site in order to increase capacity. In addition, the clearing of more than 70 hectares of pine forest was approved. Tesla is preparing an application for the expansion. This also requires a new environmental law procedure.
The environmental organizations and associations still see too many unanswered questions, such as whether the region can tolerate the plant expansion. A regional planning procedure is needed for this, demanded Sven Rothmaier, spokesman for the Brandenburg Green League. A further stage of expansion entails measures such as the expansion of the infrastructure. The need for water is also unclear.
It was initially unclear how extensive the expansion would be. Tesla spoke of additional production capacity in the northern part of the site. If the company submits an application for an expansion of the operation relevant to immission control law, the State Office for the Environment will examine this application, the Ministry of the Environment announced.
Even with the existing production in the plant, environmental regulations would not be met, according to speakers at a protest rally on the market square in Grünheide on Saturday. There are always disruptions to operations. “Tesla does not have production under control. Numerous incidents poison our environment. Every expansion of the gigafactory exacerbates the situation,” said Manu Hoyer from the Grünheide citizens’ initiative.
According to the authorities, a hazardous substance escaped in June in an external warehouse of the US electric car manufacturer in the nearby Freienbrink industrial park. The material did not get into the soil or groundwater, according to the responsible district of Oder-Spree. It is used in the manufacture of batteries. Tesla had reported the escape of the cathode material.
According to the Ministry of the Environment, when examining an application for a permit, it is not primarily important which and how many accidents there have been in a company. At best, they are indications that certain additional requirements are necessary for operation in order to avoid accidents.
The environmentalists also do not consider the production at the site to be sustainable. “Tesla makes no contribution to environmental and climate protection. With every Tesla that is built, the CO2 emissions go up,” criticized the managing director of the Nabu regional association, Christiane Schröder.
Tesla has to prove how much Co2 the company emits, which has not yet happened, according to the Green League Brandenburg. The argument that Tesla produces ecologically is also not tenable, spokesman Sven Rothmaier said on Sunday. The CO2 savings through the expansion of freight transport by rail do not justify the deforestation – that is flimsy, he criticized.
According to the environmental department, the expansion of the plant for the production of motor vehicles is planned on an area that is within the legally valid development plan. It was already in the planning that the entire area of this development plan would be used by Tesla to build the vehicle factory in several expansion stages, explained ministry spokeswoman Frauke Zelt. “For this area, the nature conservation tests have taken place.”
According to Tesla, it currently employs more than 7,000 people. Later there will be 12,000 employees, with the expansion there would be even more. In the coming week (December 8th), the Grünheide municipal council wants to discuss the preparation of a development plan for the expansion of the Tesla site.
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