According to the management of the asphalt plant, it has been scrutinised by the authorities over the past two years. All operating requirements have been complied with and there have been no exceedances during a one-year measurement of air values. Spots on apples were presumably caused by a fungal infestation. The asphalt plant was also inspected for waste water without any objections. Substances in the water could be due to the fact that wastewater from the A8 motorway and from a neighbouring stud farm was discharged into the stream at the measuring point. The authorities also contradicted the expert opinion obtained by the environmental lawyer on behalf of the neighbours, according to which soot could form. The authorities had also determined that no environmental impact assessment was required. There have only been complaints from neighbours since it was announced that a new plant meeting the latest environmental standards was to be built at the site. However, nothing had been changed to the work processes in recent years. Due to the good transport connections, the company is determined to retain the site.
The responsible district authority of Grieskirchen explained in a written statement that there had only been one complaint against the asphalt plant between 2009 and 2022 and referred to the valid decisions.
Ombudswoman MMag. Elisabeth Schwetz described "health and quality of life as legitimate interests of neighbours". However, according to the authorities, the plant is being operated in accordance with the consensus. "On the other hand, legal certainty is necessary for the operation of a company," the Ombudswoman also clarified. She believes that the district authority still has a duty to closely monitor compliance with the air and water quality requirements. The alleged fungal infestation must also be further verified and the results communicated to neighbouring residents. "It must be possible to live well in the neighbourhood of businesses, but it must also be accepted that businesses are allowed to go about their business in operational areas," says Ombudswoman Elisabeth Schwetz.
Enquiry: Does mobile pig farming endanger the groundwater?
A year ago, the then Ombudsman Dr Walter Rosenkranz reported on a farmer who wanted to set up a mobile pig farm on his arable land in Lower Austria: without fully slatted floors, 60 to 80 pigs were housed in eight tents on an area of 2.5 hectares in an initial trial operation.
However, the St. Pölten district authority considered it problematic that the pigs' excrement could get into the groundwater, contaminating it with nitrates. The pigs would not count as free-range pigs in this form of husbandry, as significantly more animals are kept per unit area. This type of husbandry is also new in Austria and there is no scientific data on it yet. The farmer had to cease operations.
In a statement submitted to the programme, the district authority pointed out that the farmer should have applied for a permit under water law before setting up the mobile pig farm, which he had not done. He had also not complied with a request to supplement the submitted project documents. The University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences had agreed to provide scientific support for the project. "Following the Ombudsman Board's intervention, the farmer now has the opportunity to reapply for approval of his project under water and building law. As the Austrian Ombudsman Board, we welcome the innovative approach of the project and hope that the farmer will participate. If he sees a need, he can of course also contact the Austrian Ombudsman Board again," stated Ombudswoman Schwetz.
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