@farbenstau
Let's call it a communist Altlast then.
I found nothing about concrete cancer being a problem before east germany in that region. (looked from Nazi germany to Prussia)
That this issue plagued east germany trhough outs it's existence suggests some geological cause with a lack of process control and competition. That the problem persistent so long into the unified germany also shows a market failuire, possibly due to local monopoly and limited west german competition (distance).
@freemin7 I wonder if the Schienenfreunde Cartel was only about steel or also about sleepers …