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Potsdam / Grünheide (dpa) - After the decision of the Brandenburg State Environment Agency to continue building the factory of the US electric car manufacturer Tesla in Grünheide near Berlin, representatives of nature conservation associations were appalled.

“Making such a serious decision shortly before the Christmas holidays is no longer understandable for the two nature conservation associations Nabu and the Green League,” declared the association representatives Christiane Schröder and Michael Ganschow on Thursday.

"The associations find it particularly shocking that the Ministry of Environment's technical supervision is exercised in favor of economic interests."

Schröder and Ganschow refer to a sentence in the letter from the State Environment Agency on Wednesday, in which it is stated that the further construction of the factory no longer has to be linked to the condition that a security deposit for a possible dismantling has actually been provided.

"As part of the exercise of discretion, the State Office for the Environment has also taken into account a corresponding instruction from the supervisory authority," it said there.

In a statement on Thursday, the Ministry of the Environment expressly pointed out that Tesla had assumed the obligation to pay all possible dismantling costs with a letter of comfort.

The form of the security payment should now be clarified by January 15, said Ministry spokesman Sebastian Arnold.

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The Brandenburg Ministry of the Environment announced on Wednesday that the state of Brandenburg had agreed with Tesla on an extended deadline of January 15 to deposit 100 million euros for possible dismantling costs.

Tesla had not provided the security deposit by December 17th after early approval for further deforestation and the installation of machines for the paint shop.

Then the work was suspended for the time being.

The federal chairman of the Ecological Democratic Party (ÖDP), Christian Rechholz accused the State Environment Agency of cheating on Wednesday evening.

"At the last minute, when the trees are being cleaned for Christmas Eve, the newspapers are in print and everyone is mentally on Christmas vacation, the authorities allow Tesla to continue building quietly," he criticized.

"This approach is a huge mess."

Tesla on the planned factory in Grünheide