BERLIN (dpa-AFX) - Thanks to the collection of tens of thousands of signatures, opponents of the liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal planned on or off Rügen's coast will be allowed to present their concerns to the Bundestag's petitions committee on Monday (12 noon). More than 61,000 people have signed the petition opposing the inclusion of Rügen in the LNG Acceleration Act (LNGG). Inclusion would classify a terminal planned there as a prioritized project and pave the way for a faster approval process. A public hearing requires 50,000 supporters.

The petitioners are Kai Gardeja, tourism director at Binz, and Marvin Müller, state chairman of the SPD junior organization Jusos Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and a member of the Binz municipal council. Opponents of the plans fear for the environment and tourism, which is particularly important for the island. A demonstration against the plans is also planned for Monday in front of the Berlin Chancellery.

For the project at present neither a concrete location nor the future project carrier are well-known. The Schwerin state government recently only said that talks were currently underway between the federal government and the state./chh/DP/mis