Applying for environmental information in mining
Would you like to view environmental information, such as data on the condition of the air, water, soil or landscape in mining areas in your region? You can view and request this information from the relevant authorities.
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Basic information
In Germany, the government and public administration bodies actively inform the general public about the environment. Every person is entitled to free access to environmental information via these bodies that are obliged to provide information.
Environmental information provides information about
- the state of the environment, human health and safety,
- factors, activities and measures that have an impact on the environment,
- environmental law,
- political programs relating to the environment.
You can also request certain data from the authorities yourself, for example on air and water quality and data on biotopes and protected areas.
If you wish to receive certain environmental information, you can apply to the competent authority. You do not have to prove a legal interest.
In the mining sector, for example, the following information is of interest:
- Flow paths and nature of ground and surface water,
- effects on soil, fauna and flora and
- Holders and terms of mining licenses in a particular area.
You can gain access to environmental information, for example, by requesting information or inspecting files.
Requirements
Every person has the right to view and request environmental information about bodies that are obliged to provide information.
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Procedure
Please contact the responsible office.
More information
Legal remedy:
- Objection, which is processed by the competent mining authority
- possibly legal action before the administrative court
The bodies required to provide information do not include certain federal authorities involved in legislation and federal courts that do not perform public administration tasks.
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Necessary Documents
- Your application must specify the exact information requested:
- This means that the responsible body must be able to recognize what information you need from it.
- Your application must specify the exact information requested:
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Competent Department
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Landesamt für Bergbau, Energie und Geologie
- +49 511 643 0
- Stilleweg 2, 30655 Hannover
- Website
- poststelle-
hannover @lbeg. niedersachsen. de
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Online Services
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BergPass - the application platform of the mountain authorities
The BergPass application platform allows you to process all federal mining law procedures online.
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Fees / Costs
bis 500,00 EUR
The fees are determined according to the effort required to obtain the information. If the authority rejects the application, no costs are incurred. -
Deadlines & processing time
What deadlines must be paid attention to?
1 month Objection period
You can lodge an appeal with the authorities against an application that has been rejected (in whole or in part). If this does not lead to a different result, you can take legal action.How long does it take to process
1 month bis 2 months
The requested information must be made available to you immediately.
As a rule, this means: no later than 1 month after you have requested the information.
In the mining industry, some procedures are very complex and involve various authorities, agencies and companies, so this deadline is often extended.
In this case, you will receive information on the status.
This page has been automatically translated by DeepL. We cannot guarantee that the translation is correct.
The official information in German is complete and correct. 07.05.2026