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Chemicals scandal: playground in Limburg reopened!
City of Limburg caught the playground closure after chemical soil damage has been determined. Witnesses wanted!
Chemicals scandal: playground in Limburg reopened!
In Limburg, the city administration now has good news to report on a playground after damage to trees. The playground on the corner of Moselstrasse and Unterheide was released again after it was closed for some time due to willful damage. In the case of routine controls by tree experts, this serious damage to several trees, which indicated a targeted contamination of the soil with chemical substances. In particular, a heavily damaged hornbeam had to be felled, while for two more trees measures to stabilize how intensive water was initiated. The costs for laboratory tests, felling, floor exchange and new planting amount to around 2,800 euros, reports the Faz.
The concern of the city administration increases the suspicion of using strongly alkaline -looking substances, possibly sodium hydroxide caution or residues from cleaning agents. An advertisement from the police has already been filed, and the city asks for information from possible witnesses, to the Limburg-Weilburg police department. Similar incidents, such as the intentional poisoning of two plane trees in Frankfurt with glyphosate, throw a worrying light on the safety of public green spaces.
Regulation of glyphosate
In this context, the ongoing discussion about the use of glyphosate is particularly striking. While the city of Limburg indicates willful damage, there are broader regulatory efforts against this controversial herbicide. In Austria, the use of glyphosate in areas used by the general public or endangered groups of people was strictly prohibited. This is from the ORF explained in detail.
The regulations also include a ban for use in the house and allotment garden area as well as the sales stop in hardware stores. Nevertheless, the commitment in agriculture remains largely unregulated, which particularly creates discussions in the political landscape. While the Green Party defends the existing regulations, the SPÖ criticizes the coalition for an alleged "mini-mini-part ban" and refers to the carcinogenic classification of glyphosate by the WHO.
The way forward
The Federal Environment Ministry has called for a phase-out of glyphosate and is providing information on the corresponding measures, which are also important in connection with the incidents in Limburg. The ministry confirms that glyphosate can no longer be used in playgrounds, parks and sports facilities. Further information on the topic can be found on the website Federal Environment Ministry.
Overall, the case in Limburg shows how important the protection of public spaces is and that responsibility for our environment concerns each of us. With the help of the public, the city hopes not only to be able to clarify the current incident, but also to establish preventive measures against future damage caused by chemical substances.