Two Green Party lawmakers in Bavaria have been charged over €500 each after opposing nuclear waste transport permits, sparking criticism over the fairness of the fees.

Bavarian Green Party legislators Claudia Köhler and Markus Büchler have been billed €561.91 each for contesting permits related to the transport of nuclear waste from the Garching research reactor to a temporary storage facility in Ahaus. The charges stem from administrative costs incurred by the Federal Office for the Safety of Nuclear Waste Management (Base), which rejected their objections.

The fees, calculated based on 4.5 hours of administrative work at €124.87 per hour, have drawn sharp criticism from the lawmakers, who described the charges as excessive and unjustified. Köhler argued that such costs could deter citizens from exercising their rights to challenge government decisions. Base clarified that fees are only imposed when objections are unsuccessful, citing legal precedents that require a direct spatial connection to the transport route for objections to be valid.

The transport of nuclear waste has long been a contentious issue, with critics highlighting the risks associated with highly enriched uranium waste and its potential misuse. Green Party members have also questioned the necessity of the transport, given that the Garching reactor has been inactive since 2020. While opponents argue the waste poses significant safety and security risks, reactor operators maintain that specialized facilities are required for weaponization, which are rare globally.