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Energy 20 Years Wismut GmbH 20 Jahre Wismut GmbH Remediation for the Future www.bmwi.de www.bmwi.de Text and editing Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology Dr J. Becker & Dr G. Ruhrmann, Partnerschaft, Erftstadt Wismut GmbH, Chemnitz Design and production PRpetuum GmbH, Munich Picture credits Wismut GmbH, cover photograph: New Ronneburg Landscape Printed by Silber Druck oHG, Niestetal Publisher The Federal Ministry of Economics and Federal Ministry of Economics Technology was awarded the audit and Technology (BMWi) berufundfamilie® for its family-friendly staff Public Relations Division/L2 policy. The certificate is conferred by the D-10115 Berlin, Germany berufundfamilie gGmbH, an initiative of the www.bmwi.de non-profit Hertie Foundation. March 2011 Energy 20 Years Wismut GmbH Remediation for the Future 2 Table of contents Inhalt Foreword . 3 1 Wismut uranium ore mining operations in Saxony and Thuringia . 4 2 Remediation goals and concepts . 10 3 Engineering services, licensing process, monitoring . 15 4 Remediation sites . 19 5 Stewardship sites . 53 6 Public relations . 55 7 Arts collection . 56 8 Documentation on Wismut corporate history . 57 9 Summary and outlook . 58 3 Foreword Celebrating 20 years of Wismut GmbH means giving the company credit for 20 years of successful remedial action in Saxony and Thuringia, including the mitiga­ tion of environmental damage, the substantial reduc­ tion of environmental impacts, the creation of live­ able landscapes for the benefit of the people living in live­able former mining regions, and the creation of conditions and prospects for economic revival. With German reunification in 1990, the Federal Republic of Germany has assumed the sole social and financial responsibility for the decommissioning and rehabilitation of immense legacies. By the end of 2010, the federal government had made available funds totalling some 5.4 billion euros to finance the remedial operations. This brochure portrays the initial situation and the results achieved thus far in mine decommission­ ing and remediating former mining areas to prepare them for future reuse. In addition, it provides an over­ view of the tasks ahead. The presentation of this report is also a token of gratitude to the staff of Wismut GmbH and to everybody else involved in the Project for their outstanding achievements. Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology 4 1 Wismut uranium ore mining operations in Saxony and Thuringia The legacies left behind by uranium ore mining were GDR on August 22, 1953. This agreement was renewed generated by more than 40 years of mining and pro­ in 1962 and was extended in 1975. cessing of uranium ore in East Germany. As early as 1946, the then Sachsenerz Bergwerke AG started ura­ Annual uranium production peaked in 1967 with nium mining from abandoned mine dumps, adits, a rate of 7,100 tonnes. In 1990, production was still at and mine pits, under supervision of units of the Soviet some 3,000 tonnes of uranium. By the end of uranium military. To cover reparation claims, the mining com­ ore mining on December 31, 1990, Wismut mining panies operating in the Soviet occupation zone were units had produced a total of some 231,000 tonnes of transferred into Soviet ownership. Thus, the Soviet uranium, ranking the GDR according to latest find­ stock company Wismut was founded in 1947. The goal ings as the world’s fourth largest uranium producer of the undertaking was to provide uranium for the after the USSR, the United States, and Canada. nuclear armament programme of the Soviet Union. A large workforce, conscripted from across the Soviet Following German reunification, the Federal zone of occupation, was forced to work in the ura­ Republic of Germany and the Soviet Union signed a nium mines. Uranium mining and processing during transition agreement on October 9, 1990 under the that period was characterised by bad working condi­ provisions of which SDAG Wismut ceased its opera­ tions, complete disregard for nature and the envi­ tion on January 1, 1991. This put an end to uranium ronment, as well as reckless encroachments on popu­ ore mining in Saxony and Thuringia. lation centres. Whole areas were confiscated and turned into prohibited zones: Wismut became a state In 1990, the environmental situation in the min­ within a state. ing districts was characterised by enormous environ­ mental degradation affecting a total surface area of In 1954 the German Democratic Republic (GDR) some 3,700 hectares, including radioactively contami­ got a share in what had been a purely Soviet stock nated mine dumps, tailings ponds, and plant areas company up to that time. The company was convert­ located within a densely populated region. Past min­ ed into a Soviet­German stock company SDAG Wismut, ing activities had marked the mine and mill sites of with both partners holding 50 per cent of the shares. Ronne­­burg, Seelingstädt, Crossen, Schlema, Pöhla, The basis for this change was an agreement conclud­ König stein, and Dresden­Gittersee with their traces of ed between the governments of the USSR and the devas tation. Uranium mining operations had released Parking lot and pit shafts against a background of waste rock piles at Schlema (ca. 1965) 5 Schlema spa park with shade sail against the background of Hammerberghalde waste rock pile (2001) radio active materials into the atmosphere, into soils, duction legacies were defined as and remain the and into the hydrosphere. More than 300 million company’s key mission and corporate purpose. The cubic metres of waste rock material had been brought Federal Republic of Germany is its only shareholder, to the surface and dumped in 48 waste rock piles. Pro­ represented by the Federal Ministry of Economics and cessing uranium ore into yellowcake had generated Technology. more than 160 million cubic metres of tailings sludges containing residual levels of uranium and other con­ Following the usual practice in countries with taminants. This situation made it imperative already planned economies, the SDAG Wismut had not set in 1990 to initiate immediate action to eliminate haz­ aside any financial reserves for future decommission­ ardous risks, to close mines and pits, and to clean up ing and rehabilitation work. As a consequence, the and rehabilitate production sites. federal government had to allocate sufficient funds for the Wismut GmbH company to fulfil its mission. The national Wismut GmbH – a federal responsibility The legal framework for the decommissioning and rehabilitation work is set forth in the Wismut Act Under the terms of German unification, ownership of as well as all other relevant regulations, laws and 50 per cent of the shareholdings of the binational ordinances contained in German mining and radia­ company SDAG Wismut passed to the Federal Republic tion protection legislation in particular as well as in of Germany. Under the terms of the German­Soviet German soil protection and water legislation. Fur­ governmental agreement of May 16, 1991, the Soviet thermore, under the provisions of the German unifi­ shareholdings were also transferred to the German cation treaty, two former GDR regulations containing side. As a consequence thereof, the Federal Republic specific provisions on the decommissioning of urani­ of Germany assumed responsibility for the company um mines (Nuclear Safety and Radiological Protection as a whole. On December 20, 1991, with the coming Ordinance and Mine Dump Ordinance) continue to into force of the Wismut Act of December 12, 1991, the be applied. Moreover, the German Commission on company SDAG Wismut was changed into Wismut Radiological Protection has issued a number of radio­ GmbH, a company under German corporate law. Site logical protection principles concerning the release decommissioning and rehabilitation of uranium pro­ of contaminated areas, waste rock piles, buildings, 6 1 Wismut uranium ore mining operations in Saxony and Thuringia and materials originating from uranium ore mining. prehensive assessment of their ecological, economic These principles are taken into consideration when as well as social aspects. This optimisation process assessing the need to remediate areas and facilities. also comprised considerations regarding the long­ term stability and follow­up costs of the different From mining to remediation company approaches. Trade­offs between the various interests were conducted in close cooperation with the rele­ A priority task to be addressed in the early 1990s was vant state supervisory authorities and through dia­ the restructuring of the company from a mining com­ logue with municipal and district representatives of pany oriented toward the maximum production of the affected areas. uranium under the conditions of a planned economy into a modern private sector remediation company. The decision­making process had to acknowl­ On January 1, 1992, the numerous affiliated mine sup­ edge that a good many of the remediation operations port activities of the SDAG Wismut were split from the were indeed intervention measures which have the newly founded Wismut GmbH and privatised during capacity to mitigate environmental damage but can­ the mid­1990s. not undo environmental impacts altogether. In the end, concepts were worked out through constructive When uranium mining was terminated at the cooperation with the regulatory bodies of the Free end of 1990, there were no ready concepts or plans States of Saxony and Thuringia which built a safe and available to initiate the pending remediation meas­ generally recognised basis for future remediation ures. For this reason, remedial concepts for all task planning by Wismut GmbH. First site­specific remedi­ complexes had to be developed at short notice. A pre­ al concepts were finalised by August 1991 and then requisite for the development of remedial concepts continuously updated in accordance with growing was the assessment of the existing environmental expertise and know­how. They provide the basis for impacts and the establishment of an environmental concrete design and planning of the various remedia­ database.

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