Dispute over permits pushes Høfde 42 cleanup to 2028

The cleanup of the Høfde 42 chemical depot on the beach between Thyborøn and Harboøre will not begin before 2028, at least two years later than planned, DR reports.

The delay stems from an unresolved question over which authority must issue the required environmental approval. Lemvig Municipality has asked the environment minister to let the state take over responsibility, but the minister has not yet made a decision.

Central Denmark Region said the delay was deeply regrettable and that it hoped for a swift decision so the long-awaited cleanup could proceed. The region said it could not set a new timetable until responsibility for the approval had been clarified.

Cheminova deposited chemical waste at Høfde 42 in the 1950s and 1960s with state permission. The state also deposited waste there. The depot is estimated to contain more than 100 tonnes of contaminated substances, including seven tonnes of mercury.

In 2020, a majority in parliament allocated 375 million kroner to the cleanup. The region later secured a further 378 million kroner, allowing it to sign a contract with construction company Arkil A/S, which won the tender. The agreement was made in April 2024, when officials expected the necessary environmental approvals to take between one and one and a half years.

The plan had been to remove the contaminated soil from 2026 through 2030. It is now unclear when the cleanup will be completed.