Problems at Lake Traunsee

Floating garbage: the new government gives hope

Lake Traunsee in Ebensee is not a pretty sight. Lots of wood and garbage has been piling up for years.

(Bild: Hörmandinger Marion)

For many years, wood and garbage washed up on Lake Traunsee has caused huge problems. A solution has not yet been found. A passage in the new coalition program gives Ebensee SP leader Sabine Promberger and Altmünster VP national councillor Bettina Zopf cause for optimism.

Lake Traunsee will remain lowered until April, which means that washed up wood and garbage will be even more obvious than during the rest of the year. For years, the Salzkammergut has been trying to get the "tragedy" under control. However, neither the federal government, the state nor the municipalities have really succeeded.

Now both Ebensee Mayor Sabine Promberger (SPÖ) and Altmünster National Councillor Bettina Zopf (ÖVP) are pinning their hopes on the new black-red-pink federal government. "The new government program explicitly addresses the issue of driftwood. Support has been promised in the event of a disaster. And the issue is a disaster for us all year round," says local leader Promberger.

Financial bottleneck
As a hardship compensation municipality, it is impossible for Ebensee to take the initiative itself. "We don't have the financial means and have hardly any leeway in terms of expenditure due to the hardship compensation." Zopf hopes that the new coalition will also lead to better cooperation between the VP and SP at regional level. "We urgently need to sit down together and tackle the issue."

Question of responsibility
There is certainly plenty to discuss. However, it is still not clear how large the catchment area for the driftwood actually is. It is also not clear who the affected municipalities are. According to Zopf, the Federal Forests have already promised their support on several occasions - but only for the wood that has washed ashore. Zopf: "According to the current legal situation, the municipalities are clearly responsible for removing the waste. Unfortunately, a lot of garbage is also thrown away along the Traun. That is a very significant part of the problem."