Exploration of the Gorleben salt dome

The report presents a legal expert opinion examining the provisions laid down in the mining law, environmental protection law, and the law on administrative procedure and proceedings that form the basis of activities taken or ordered by the Federal Government in connection with the planned use of the Gorleben salt dome as a waste disposal site. The expert opinion examines in particular the main operation planning procedure, the framework operation planning and the specific operation planning, the requirements to submit an environmental impact statement, and the incorporation of the duty to perform an environmental impact assessment into the mining law. The opinion does not find any facts or reasons at the current time that could justify objections against the immediate execution of the plan approval for work to prepare the abandoned salt mines for service as a radioactive waste repository. (HP)