German environmental officials are calling for accelerated efforts to remove nuclear waste from the deteriorating Asse storage facility in Lower Saxony.

Federal Environment Minister Steffi Lemke and Lower Saxony's Environment Minister Christian Meyer, both from the Green Party, stress the urgency due to water intrusion issues.

The site houses about 126,000 barrels of low and medium-level radioactive waste in 13 chambers.

Recent concerns have arisen as experts noticed a decrease in water levels at the main collection point, with the fate of the missing water unknown.

Meyer opposes long-term storage above the Asse facility, suggesting temporary examination followed by relocation to existing interim storage sites, potentially in southern Germany where most of the waste originated.