Ohlsdorf debates plan to cover old tyre dump

About 155,000 tonnes of used tyres have been stored in Ohlsdorf for decades. A plan to cover the remaining tyres rather than remove them entirely is to be discussed at an ORF event on Tuesday, ORF Oberösterreich reports.

The dump in Ohlsdorf, in Gmunden district, is close to the Traun and has been the subject of debate for months. A new decision by the state provides for the remaining tyres to be permanently covered with sand, gravel and topsoil. Residents have raised concerns about long-term environmental effects, possible groundwater contamination and the risk of fire.

The discussion, part of ORF’s “Ein Ort am Wort” programme, will ask whether leaving the tyres buried is a sound approach, what risks they pose to the environment and water, and who should pay for further remediation. It is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. and will be streamed live.

Participants include Oliver Benek, managing director of Gratec Recycling; Upper Austria’s Environment Councillor Stefan Kaineder; and Ohlsdorf Mayor Inés Mirlacher. Environmental law expert Erika Wagner of JKU Linz and Jürgen Frank, head of environmental and water law at the state government, will discuss the legal issues. ORF Oberösterreich presenters Gernot Hörmann and Karoline Ploberger will moderate.

Mirlacher says most residents want the dump cleared completely. ORF Oberösterreich reported a similar view during a visit to the location.