Brewers: 'No fracking with our German beer'
A group of brewers has raised alarm that so-called 'fracking' for natural gas could jeopardize the legendary purity of German beer by contaminating the country's water supplies.
In a letter to the government, the German Brewers Association laments that the controversial technique for tapping hard-to-reach gas deposits might ruin the national beverage.
"The current law changes planned by federal government are not enough to ensure the necessary security of water supplies," the Bild newspaper cited the letter as saying on Thursday.
The authorities have said they would not allow fracking, which uses chemicals under high pressure to blow natural gas out of rocky sediment, in regions where it could seep into the water table. But the brewers say German beer "depends on qualitatively unimpeachable drinking water for brewing."
The legendary German Purity Law of 1516 stipulates that only water, barley and hops can be used to make beer. It is often cited as why German beer is some of the best in the world.
The Local/mry
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In a letter to the government, the German Brewers Association laments that the controversial technique for tapping hard-to-reach gas deposits might ruin the national beverage.
"The current law changes planned by federal government are not enough to ensure the necessary security of water supplies," the Bild newspaper cited the letter as saying on Thursday.
The authorities have said they would not allow fracking, which uses chemicals under high pressure to blow natural gas out of rocky sediment, in regions where it could seep into the water table. But the brewers say German beer "depends on qualitatively unimpeachable drinking water for brewing."
The legendary German Purity Law of 1516 stipulates that only water, barley and hops can be used to make beer. It is often cited as why German beer is some of the best in the world.
The Local/mry
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