Berlin — German officials on Monday expressed growing anger over the slow flow of information from Poland about a polluted border river as experts raced to find out what killed tens of thousands of fish. expressed.
Germany’s Environment Minister Steffi Lemke demanded a transparent and full investigation into the cause of the massive fish die-off in the Oder River after meeting with his Polish counterpart in Szczecin on Sunday night.
Lemke told ARD TV on Monday that “if this investigation is not successful, there will be a huge loss of trust, especially among the Polish public, and perhaps among us as well.”
Mr. Lemke also announced that the two countries will set up a task force with experts to exchange information and updates on the investigation of environmental hazards.
The governor of Brandenburg, which borders Poland on the Oder River, has criticized Polish authorities for lack of information on fish deaths.
According to the German news agency DPA, information about the environmental disaster had not come in “slightly” or “at all,” said Dietmar Woitke, who said, “This will have to be addressed urgently in the coming months.” added.
The Oder River flows from the Czech Republic to the border of Poland and Germany before emptying into the Baltic Sea. Ten tons of dead fish were removed from it last week, and people were asked not to swim or touch the water in the river.
Germany’s environment ministry said it expects results later this week on possible toxins in river water.
Brandenburg Environment Minister Axel Vogel said: “It may take a few more days before we have confirmed all possible substances.”
The fish die-off probably has multiple causes, Vogel added, adding that the current drought and low water levels are almost certainly to blame. rice field.
“So we don’t think any disaster can be solved within six months by re-breeding the fish,” Vogel said.
___
Follow AP’s climate and environment coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment.
