Photo: picture-alliance / DPA /J. Stahle via dw.com
Last November, Tesla announced that the first European Gigafactory would open in Germany, outside Berlin, in Brandenburg, as Brexit foiled plans for one in the UK.
By January, the plan had already ruffled many environmentalists’ feathers, who claimed that building the plant implied massive deforestation, which, in turn, meant a huge impact on wildlife and even water supplies. Following street protests, the environmentalists, grouped under Gruene Liga Brandenburg (Green League of Brandenburg), took the matter to court.
On Sunday, a judge temporarily ruled in their favor, halting all work on the Gigafactory site, the BBC reports. As it turns out, Tesla had started cutting down trees on the 300 hectares it had bought from the state of Brandenburg and had only more 3 days’ of work until it was done. In total, some 91 hectares of wood would have to be cleared to make room for the plant.
Tesla has not yet gotten planning or construction approval, and while authorities sanctioned the purchase of the land, it was warned it could start some on-site preparations “at its own risk.”
It was a gamble that did not pay off, apparently.
“It should not be assumed that the motion seeking legal protection brought by the Green League lacks any chance of succeeding,” the court statement released to the media states.
The move to have the Gigafactory in Germany is backed up by the Christian Democrat and Free Democrat parties, whose representatives are not fearful of the message this temporary obstacle might send to the world, as to Germany’s image as a place to do (automotive) business.
According to local reports cited by the BBC, Tesla, on its part, has been bending over backwards to ensure locals that it would do its best to minimize impact on wildlife and quality of life, in general. That includes relocating “colonies of forest ants, reptiles and bats” and working with conservationists on all related issues.
On Sunday, a judge temporarily ruled in their favor, halting all work on the Gigafactory site, the BBC reports. As it turns out, Tesla had started cutting down trees on the 300 hectares it had bought from the state of Brandenburg and had only more 3 days’ of work until it was done. In total, some 91 hectares of wood would have to be cleared to make room for the plant.
Tesla has not yet gotten planning or construction approval, and while authorities sanctioned the purchase of the land, it was warned it could start some on-site preparations “at its own risk.”
It was a gamble that did not pay off, apparently.
“It should not be assumed that the motion seeking legal protection brought by the Green League lacks any chance of succeeding,” the court statement released to the media states.
The move to have the Gigafactory in Germany is backed up by the Christian Democrat and Free Democrat parties, whose representatives are not fearful of the message this temporary obstacle might send to the world, as to Germany’s image as a place to do (automotive) business.
According to local reports cited by the BBC, Tesla, on its part, has been bending over backwards to ensure locals that it would do its best to minimize impact on wildlife and quality of life, in general. That includes relocating “colonies of forest ants, reptiles and bats” and working with conservationists on all related issues.
Google News