Salt and potash mining impact assessment

The objective of the project was to evaluate the impact of wastewater discharges from salt and potash mining on water quality and ecology and to find operating scheme in order to minimize impacts on water quality. The assessment cuts across different sectors like water, mining, navigation, transport, recreation, urban development and socio-economic development. The latter strongly depends on the mining industry and their potential to create jobs. Project goals were:

• minimize the risk of adverse environmental impacts by high salt concentrations
• minimize salt deposition in the floodplains during flood events
• meet the water quality development objectives of the EU Water Framework Directive
• ensure the continuation of potash mining as the most important employer in this region of Germany providing more than 30000 jobs directly or indirectly
• find workable and practicable solutions to manage and monitor the wastewater discharge.