Danish village no longer under threat from Nordic Waste landslide
A landslide of contaminated waste from nearby soil treatment plant Nordic Waste will not impact houses in the nearby village of Ølst, the Danish Ministry of Environment said on Tuesday.
A report from the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS) has confirmed that the village is no longer under threat from the landslide, the ministry said in a statement.
Although there is no risk to houses in Ølst, even in a worst case scenario, the landslide is still an environmental danger, Minister for the Environment Magnus Heunicke said.
“Even though the landslide is stabilising, there is still a risk of damage to the environment from surface water running down the landslide towards Alling river,” Heunicke said.
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The landslide must therefore still be monitored and contaminated water contained, he said.
A December landslide at the Nordic Waste soil treatment centre in Ølst, near Randers, threatens to pollute the nearby Alling Å and possibly also Randers Fjord.
After the landslide, Nordic Waste filed for bankruptcy, which could mean that the bill for the clean-up ends up with taxpayers.
Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has repeatedly criticised Nordic Waste and said that the company must pay for the response to the landslide, while the government has opened a probe into the matter.
“This is an event out of the ordinary. It has not happened before in Denmark. Rander Municipality faces a huge task and they must not face it alone. That’s why we consider this a national matter,” Frederiksen said last month.
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A report from the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS) has confirmed that the village is no longer under threat from the landslide, the ministry said in a statement.
Although there is no risk to houses in Ølst, even in a worst case scenario, the landslide is still an environmental danger, Minister for the Environment Magnus Heunicke said.
“Even though the landslide is stabilising, there is still a risk of damage to the environment from surface water running down the landslide towards Alling river,” Heunicke said.
READ ALSO:
- 'There's polluted dirt coming down that hill': Danish village faces threat from Nordic Waste landslide
- Nordic Waste: Denmark opens probe into contaminated soil landslide
- EXPLAINED: What is Denmark’s Nordic Waste scandal and why is a billionaire in the spotlight?
The landslide must therefore still be monitored and contaminated water contained, he said.
A December landslide at the Nordic Waste soil treatment centre in Ølst, near Randers, threatens to pollute the nearby Alling Å and possibly also Randers Fjord.
After the landslide, Nordic Waste filed for bankruptcy, which could mean that the bill for the clean-up ends up with taxpayers.
Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has repeatedly criticised Nordic Waste and said that the company must pay for the response to the landslide, while the government has opened a probe into the matter.
“This is an event out of the ordinary. It has not happened before in Denmark. Rander Municipality faces a huge task and they must not face it alone. That’s why we consider this a national matter,” Frederiksen said last month.
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