Group’s latest fight with Grafenwöhr is about new housing

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Group’s latest fight with Grafenwöhr is about new housing
By Seth Robson, Stars and Stripes
European edition, Monday, March 24, 2008

HOHENFELS, Germany — In a community where almost everyone has a connection to the U.S. Army, German activists campaigning for stricter enforcement of environmental rules in and around Grafenwöhr Training Area often get the cold shoulder from locals.

But that hasn’t stopped the Zusammenschluss umweltbewusster Bürger (Union of Environmentally Conscious Citizens), or ZUB, from waging a 16-year battle against what it claims is poor environmental management of America’s largest overseas military training area.

ZUB founder Rainer Knoll has been a constant thorn in the side of U.S. and German authorities here, holding meetings, conducting investigations and issuing dozens of press releases over the years to highlight environmental issues with the training area.

Knoll said he founded the group, which has about 10 members, in 1992 because of concerns about the Haderhuehl landfill — an on-post dump that, according to ZUB, is leaching toxins into groundwater.

“We are quite concerned about this because it is very dangerous and a serious impact to the environment,” Knoll said. “Nobody wants to do anything because it will cost a lot of money.”


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=53555