Minister wants tannery closures
An ongoing battle between Hungary and Austria which began last year (see www.leatherbiz.com May 22, 2007) over river pollution has escalated again following Hungary’s Environment minister Gabor Fodor’s demand that Austria close down tanneries in the Wollsdorf area.
Following requests last week for immediate action to be taken to improve the quality of the water along the River Raba, Mr Fodor has now demanded that Austria considers revoking the operating licences of tanneries on the Austrian side of the border, which he claims are responsible for the pollution.
According to the Hungarian minister, the pollution from chemical foam in the river has tripled in the last five years and urgent action is required to halt any further rise; however, Austria claims that all of the tanneries’ wastewater treatment facilities meet current environmental standards as does the quality of the water in the river.
