diff --git a/steering/settings.py b/steering/settings.py
index 7e47f6778d289e725365af301ea280bd9d854c26..059532b2d0a501f6c78c3020cd3f74737527b641 100644
--- a/steering/settings.py
+++ b/steering/settings.py
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@
 
 import os
 
-import environ
 from corsheaders.defaults import default_headers
 
 # Paths
@@ -19,21 +18,18 @@ STATIC_URL = "/static/"
 
 ROOT_URLCONF = "steering.urls"
 
-env = environ.Env()
-env.read_env(env_file=PROJECT_DIR + "/../.env")
-
-DEBUG = env.bool("DEBUG", default=False)
+DEBUG = os.getenv("DEBUG", default=False)
 SITE_ID = 1
 ADMINS = ()
 MANAGERS = ADMINS
 
 # Must be set if DEBUG is False
-ALLOWED_HOSTS = env.list("ALLOWED_HOSTS", default=["127.0.0.1", "localhost"])
+ALLOWED_HOSTS = os.getenv("ALLOWED_HOSTS", default=["127.0.0.1", "localhost"])
 
 # Whitelist origins that access the API
-CORS_ALLOWED_ORIGINS = env.list(
+CORS_ALLOWED_ORIGINS = os.getenv(
     "CORS_ALLOWED_ORIGINS",
-    default=env.list(
+    default=os.getenv(
         # This is for backwards compatibility as
         # CORS_ALLOWED_ORIGINS was named CORS_ORIGIN_WHITELIST in the past.
         "CORS_ORIGIN_WHITELIST",
@@ -46,7 +42,7 @@ CORS_ALLOW_HEADERS = list(default_headers) + [
 ]
 
 # if we are in a virtual environment, we use SQLite and enable debug
-if os.environ.get("VIRTUAL_ENV"):
+if os.getenv("VIRTUAL_ENV"):
     DEBUG = True
     DATABASES = {
         "default": {
@@ -58,23 +54,23 @@ else:
     DATABASES = {
         "default": {
             "ENGINE": "django.db.backends.postgresql",
-            "NAME": env.str("POSTGRES_DB", default="steering"),
-            "USER": env.str("POSTGRES_USER", default="steering"),
-            "PASSWORD": env.str("POSTGRES_PASSWORD"),
-            "HOST": env.str("POSTGRES_HOST", default="steering-postgres"),
-            "PORT": env.str("POSTGRES_PORT", default="5432"),
+            "NAME": os.getenv("POSTGRES_DB", default="steering"),
+            "USER": os.getenv("POSTGRES_USER", default="steering"),
+            "PASSWORD": os.getenv("POSTGRES_PASSWORD", default="aura"),
+            "HOST": os.getenv("POSTGRES_HOST", default="steering-postgres"),
+            "PORT": os.getenv("POSTGRES_PORT", default="5432"),
         },
     }
 
 CACHE_BACKEND = "locmem://"
 
 # LOCALIZATION
-TIME_ZONE = env.str("TIME_ZONE", default="Europe/Vienna")
-LANGUAGE_CODE = env.str("LANGUAGE_CODE", default="de")
+TIME_ZONE = os.getenv("TIME_ZONE", default="Europe/Vienna")
+LANGUAGE_CODE = os.getenv("LANGUAGE_CODE", default="de")
 USE_I18N = True
 USE_L10N = True
 
-SECRET_KEY = env.str("SECRET_KEY")
+SECRET_KEY = os.getenv("SECRET_KEY", default="secret-key")
 
 TEMPLATES = [
     {
@@ -182,19 +178,19 @@ USE_TZ = True  # django-oidc-provider needs timezones in database
 LOGIN_URL = "/admin/login/"  # Login page OIDC redirects to
 OIDC_EXTRA_SCOPE_CLAIMS = "steering.oidc_provider_settings.AuraScopeClaims"
 
-if os.environ.get("STEERING_PORT"):
+if os.getenv("STEERING_PORT"):
     SITE_URL = (
-        env.str("AURA_PROTO", default="http")
+        os.getenv("AURA_PROTO", default="http")
         + "://"
-        + env.str("AURA_HOST", default="localhost")
+        + os.getenv("AURA_HOST", default="localhost")
         + ":"
-        + env.str("STEERING_PORT")
+        + os.getenv("STEERING_PORT")
     )
 else:
     SITE_URL = (
-        env.str("AURA_PROTO", default="http")
+        os.getenv("AURA_PROTO", default="http")
         + "://"
-        + env.str("AURA_HOST", default="localhost")
+        + os.getenv("AURA_HOST", default="localhost")
     )
 
 # WSGI_APPLICATION = 'steering.wsgi.application';