Cable fire at the opencast mine

We found this article at indymedia:

On 12/24/2017 we set the cables on fire that supply the Hambach open-pit mine with electricity. So at least some of the huge machines were halted there. The cables were in this case at the viewpoint on the open pit (near Terra Nova).

The Hambach mine is a hole that is larger than Cologne, in which is dug for lignite (brown coal). The burning of this coal emits an incredible amount of CO₂ (as well as other things, such as arsenic, mercury, …), thus fueling climate change. Climate change has catastrophic consequences, such as droughts, floods and storms, causing many people to die or be deprived of their livelihoods.
In addition, for this open pit many people have to move out of their villages, as they have to give way to the opencast mining and the Hambacher Forst, an ancient, beautiful forest is being cut down.

Stop Coal now!

To RWE: Merry Crisis and a happy new fear!

Continue ReadingCable fire at the opencast mine

TV report from 12/28/2017

Last week, a team from the German TV channel ARD was in the Hambach Forest. Their report was on television on Thursday, 12/28/2017, and now also at
http://mediathek.daserste.de/Morgenmagazin/MOMA-Reporter-Was-wurde-aus-den-Aktivis/Video?bcastId=435054&documentId=48753082 (high resolution)
and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lV1S7codk80
Both links will be opened in an new tab.
Although the language is German, you can get a good impression of the troubles on the secu road, at which the TV team accidentally was present, the day after the stop of the deforestation.
More info: Live Ticker Barricade Eviction 12/20
The film also shows the result of this year’s clear-cutting, which lasted only two days and the team also visited a tree house.

Continue ReadingTV report from 12/28/2017

5 years ago, the district of Düren decreed the eviction of the meadow. A review

This e-mail was sent to us:

“State of the matter, 5 years after the delivery of the order by the building authority of the district Düren to vacate the meadow, on 12/24/2012:

  1. The excavator to remove the upper layers is still standing about 80 – 100 m away from the former alignment of the A4. Location: Ancient motorway A4 direction Düren, westernmost point!
  2. The former works road is given up and completely free, RWE probably resigned themselves to the loss of this road.
  3. Matthias Hartung, CEO of RWE Power AG, is “going to retire prematurely” this year.
  4. Peter Terium, CEO of the parent company of RWE Power AG and of RWE Innogy AG, is going to leave the RWE Group (became known 5 days ago).
  5. Matthias Hartung and Peter Terium should keep further damage away from the RWE Group. They will not be able to escape their possible responsibilities because of serious environmental crimes against the soil and groundwater, or because of the transfer of insolvency, just like the responsible politicians in North Rhine-Westphalia.

About the “jobs that depend on the Hambach opencast mine”

Not 60,000 jobs are endangered at the end of the open pit Hambach on 03/31/2018, but only less than about 800:

  1. Including the apprentices, only fewer than 800 people (estimated) are employed at the Niederaussem power plant.
  2. The employees of the Hambach open-pit mine (estimated, including the apprentices: approx. 700-900) will continue to be needed for years for the dismantling works of the Hambach mine and to restore the surface of the hole that will be left as required by law (BBergG).

Kerpen-Buir, 12/25/2017

Kurt Claßen“

Continue Reading5 years ago, the district of Düren decreed the eviction of the meadow. A review

Validity of the main operating plan without deforestation renewed until 3/31/2018

Press release of the district government Arnsberg

Original text

Validity of the main operating plan without deforestation renewed until 3/31/2018

By decision of December 20, 2017, the district government of Arnsberg, which is responsible for mining and energy in NRW, renewed the validity of the current main operating plan for the Hambach open-cast mine until March 31th, 2018. As a result of the licence, the continuation of lignite extraction will be secured also after 12/31/2017, thus ensuring the important supply of lignite to the power plants in the months to come.

In view of pending court proceedings, clearing and logging measures on wooded areas are excluded from the prolongation. In the period until the end of March next year, the issues relating to nature conservation legislation will be further intensively investigated and examined by the district government of Arnsberg. After that, the decision on the license until the end of 2020 of the next main operating plan will be taken.

Continue ReadingValidity of the main operating plan without deforestation renewed until 3/31/2018