Düsseldorf (dpa / lnw) – The dispute over the carbon monoxide pipeline between Dormagen and Krefeld will be continued this Tuesday (10 a.m.) at the Düsseldorf Administrative Court. The lawsuits brought against the pipeline by two women from Ratingen and Hilden have been pending there for 16 years (Ref.: 3 K 2188/07, 3 K 2218/07). The proceedings had been suspended until the lead proceedings on the matter became final.
The 67-kilometer-long pipeline met with fierce resistance in the Rhineland. The pipes have been underground since 2009, but gas is still not flowing through them. As the successor to Bayer AG, Covestro Deutschland AG is continuing the process as the operator.
The opponents of the “poison gas” pipeline also want to continue their resistance. They fear the danger of “silent death” that could emanate from the odorless, colorless, highly toxic carbon monoxide should the pipeline leak. 110,000 citizens had signed a protest against the construction of the pipeline.
Covestro, on the other hand, promises “a maximum of safety that goes beyond the legal requirements”. The pipes are laid deeper than specified, can withstand extremely high pressure and are protected against vibration and earthquakes.
In Krefeld-Uerdingen, the carbon monoxide is required for the production of plastics and has so far been produced specifically for this purpose with a great deal of energy. In Dormagen, on the other hand, it is a waste product.
