The dream of a ‘historical find’ is over: no natural gas will be extracted from the ground near the Kalkalpen National Park for the time being – because apparently there is none. So much fuss about nothing? A local inspection.
One sign reads ‘Welchau-1’, the other sign says ‘Entering the construction site is prohibited’. In that respect, not much has changed as of March 17, 2024. That was the day gas was found in Molln. But now the containers and excavators are gone, but the concrete foundations of the drill cellar are still visible and the exclusion zone in the Jaidhaus is still fenced.
At the beginning of December 2024, the ADX company temporarily stopped drilling near the nature reserve – the discovery was not gas, but light crude oil. Ultimately, it turned out that the drilling was unconstitutional according to the Supreme Court.
What will happen next, including for the people of Molln, is anyone’s guess. “I am conflicted: on the one hand I was against drilling because I want to protect nature, but on the other hand we have gas heating at home. I know it doesn’t work without gasoline,” says Helga Strohschneider, a supermarket employee. She thinks it is ‘bad’ that the drillings were illegal.
“Gas from Russia has nothing to do with climate protection”
You can quietly examine the situation at the tavern table directly opposite you. “I think the fanfare from environmentalists is overblown. “We had to try it, because if I bring in gas from Russia, it has nothing to do with climate protection,” says Fritz Klein.
Wolfgang Überwimmer goes even further: “If (Climate Minister Leonore, note) Gewessler flies to Saudi Arabia and sees if we can get gas there, there is no point. You have to check whether there is gas in the house and for this you need these test drillings. People complain that everything is becoming more expensive, and then the politicians start begging to get gas from somewhere. And whether these drillings were illegal or not does not interest me in the least.”
A few meters further we meet Mayor Andreas Rußmann: “For me it’s about opponents and supporters not hitting each other on the head at the pub table. The fact that ADX obtained the licenses is legitimate. As part of the field interest, the company donated 31,000 euros to the community at the end of the year.” Yes, the initial drilling was not as successful as hoped, an extended drilling was requested and approved via a conservation notice. “The question is how this holds up against the background of this complaint. There will probably be some delays over time,” says Rußmann. “It is not the case that the Constitutional Court destroys a history of nature protection legislation from the state of Upper Austria every day.”
The Environmental Protection Act now needs to be amended
Rußmann can understand the criticism from environmentalists. “The location is not the best, but as long as we need fossil fuels for industry and business and have them locally, I think this is the best solution.”
The legal consequence of the ruling of the Constitutional Court (VfGH) is less complicated than it sounds. You can usually file a justified complaint against a positive decision. This must first be rejected by a court before work can begin, so it has a ‘suspensive effect’.
The Upper Austria paragraph withdrawn by the VfGH stated that complaints, with a few exceptions, cannot generally postpone the start of work. But now this “suspensive effect” is granted to all well-founded complaints – at least until the Environmental Protection Act is amended. That’s exactly what LH vice president and nature conservation officer Manfred Haimbuchner (FPÖ) announced on Friday, as reported: The passage would be closely examined.
ADX is not surprised
ADX must also take note of the judgment. “We are not concerned or surprised. “It will likely result in a further interruption of testing work,” spokesman Wilfried Seywald said before the company published an official statement on Monday.
Now the case about the drilling decision is back at the administrative court. “It is exciting to see how they deal with this hot potato,” says Franz Maier, chairman of the environmental umbrella organization. “Meanwhile, politicians are being called to put an end to this activity!”
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
