Die Rotschlammkatastrophe in Ungarn
Red Mud Catastrophe in Hungary

Summary/Abstract: On October 4th, 2010, Hungary suffered its biggest ever ecological accident, which became known as the red mud catastrophe. This unprecedented natural disaster raised a number of legal questions. Germany also had to face a similar problem due to an explosion in a chemical plant of Oppau in the early 20th century. As a result of the natural disaster, members of the public administration were overwhelmed with various tasks. This article examines to what extent they were able to manage these tasks and what challenges they had to face. The catastrophe evidently necessitated changes in the legal framework as well in order to prevent or eliminate a forthcoming accident.

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