1,500 sows, up to 50,000 piglets per year: Austria’s largest pigsty is located in Hainsdorf in southern Styria. Almost twenty years after opening, the EIA process is still ongoing. The State Councilor now promises “a strict procedure” in the state parliament.
The “Krone” reported several times about the giant stable in Hainsdorf. No comprehensive environmental impact assessment has ever been carried out. In 2017, an application was only submitted if renovations were required. One of the then partners, Franz Reinisch, emphasized to the “Krone” that he was happy with the process: “Then it will finally be clear how many cattle I can keep and there will be legal certainty.”
However, six years later, little has happened and the application is still incomplete, as the Greens now criticize. The state environmental agency (A13), hit by scandals and a lack of staff, cannot get things going; it has now delegated the process to the Leibnitz district administration. This has initiated an administrative criminal procedure, which has not yet been completed.
Deadline for operators is next week
In the state parliament, Green MP Andreas Lackner on Tuesday urged the issuance of a removal order for the stable. Even if its enforcement is unrealistic, it would put pressure on operators to finally submit all the documents.
State Environment Councilor Ursula Lackner (SPÖ) then commented. According to her, a deadline for submitting documents ends next week, on September 25. The following steps are then taken. “As a country, we do not interfere in the process.”
“Keep it tight”
However, she notes self-critically that the length of the process is also due to the lack of staff on the A13. The authority has now been reorganized and will “strictly implement” the procedure. However, there will still be no oral EIA negotiations before 2024, the Greens say.
By the way, Ursula Lackner also announced that the Leibnitz district administration has now also taken construction police steps.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
