A bang for the buck in Carinthia

Bang on: lithium mining not an environmental burden?

Lithium mining in the Carinthia-Styria border region is to be carried out without an environmental impact assessment.

(Bild: Krone-Archiv)

Problems with groundwater, desolate areas - in Asia and South America, lithium mining has caused serious environmental damage. But in Carinthia, people are still positive about mining. It has now been decided that not even an environmental impact assessment is necessary in this country. How does that work?

Lithium is mainly mined in those regions of the world where economic interests take precedence over the environment. And where the laws are nowhere near as strict as in Austria. It is therefore all the more surprising that a gigantic mining project could start in the middle of the idyllic Lavant Valley in Carinthia without the authorities having any concerns about nature conservation.