Today, Environment Minister Meyer (Greens) informed the environmental associations and alliance partners in Hanover that he intends to reject the application. The Alliance was disappointed by the provisional decision and has announced that it will examine the decision carefully.

"It is extremely regrettable that Minister Meyer intends to reject the application," explain Dr. Tonja Mannstedt, Managing Director of the BUND regional association, and Petra Wassmann, KONRAD representative of NABU Lower Saxony. "Schacht Konrad is and remains unsuitable as a storage facility for low- and intermediate-level nuclear waste. Placing radioactive waste in an old iron ore mine without ensuring retrievability or reversibility and without precise knowledge of the geological conditions is irresponsible towards future generations. The explanations given by the Minister today could not dispel our considerable doubts." Lawyer Dr. John adds: "We will now thoroughly examine the provisional decision and decide together with our clients whether we will lodge an appeal in due course. "

Frank Klingebiel, Mayor of the City of Salzgitter: "The City Council of Salzgitter decided three years ago to support legal action against a negative decision by the Minister both politically and financially. It is regrettable that we now have to play this card, but we are prepared. And we know that the entire region between Harz and Heide is behind us."

Matthias Wilhelm, 1st authorized representative of IG Metall Salzgitter-Peine: "We have shown the minister the door through which he could have gone to prevent the next billion-euro bad investment after Würgassen. Now the dispute will probably have to go into the next round. Taxpayers' money will continue to be wasted by converting an old and dilapidated shaft into a nuclear waste storage facility. But in the end, KONRAD shaft will not go into operation, we are sure of that."

Ludwig Wasmus, Chairman of the KONRAD Shaft Working Group: "There was not much sign today of the critical view of KONRAD that is mentioned in the coalition agreement. Nevertheless, the dispute continues unabated, now also legally. In the end, KONRAD will fail because of reality. At the moment there wouldn't even be anything to store."

Even the few already conditioned waste packages in the interim storage facilities are blocked for storage in KONRAD shaft due to improvements in groundwater and drinking water protection. Every single drum, every container has to be touched again in order to possibly obtain approval. According to the federal government, this is "time-consuming and a specific completion date cannot be reliably specified at present."