No chemical warfare agents found at former Klatovy military site, but hundreds of barrels of toxic liquids discovered

An additional environmental survey of the former chemical troops training ground near the village of Prášily in the Klatovy region has found no traces of substances historically used as chemical warfare agents — mustard gas, sarin or VX. No containers of the toxic gas phosgene were found either. The State Office for Nuclear Safety announced this on Tuesday.

Even so, the authority considers the site to be seriously environmentally contaminated. Officials say they are being briefed regularly on the progress of the research work and shown preliminary findings. Chemical substances discovered on site first underwent preliminary analysis directly in the field before being sent for laboratory testing. Both the additional survey and the initial partial remediation carried out in 2023 were conducted by the company Dekonta.

Hundreds of barrels with unknown contents

The Ministry of the Environment's report reaches similar conclusions: the current additional survey found hundreds of barrels and smaller containers holding "liquid contents" at the site. Environment Minister Igor Červený (Motoristé party) told a press conference on Tuesday that the possibility of chemical warfare agents being present in the area had not initially been ruled out, but further investigation disproved that theory.

According to the ministry's report, laboratory analysis confirmed the presence of dioxins and furans, mercury, arsenic, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, chloroform, carbon tetrachloride, chlorinated hydrocarbons, chlorobenzenes and petroleum hydrocarbons. Some of the substances found pose a serious threat to groundwater, and if mixed together and ignited, they could theoretically produce a compound with effects similar to phosgene — though these are not chemical warfare agents in themselves.

The main danger is fire

The ministry warns, however, that the barrels may be buried in several layers, one on top of another, and it cannot be ruled out that some of them contain substances that could have properties of chemical warfare compounds.

Experts say the most serious risk is the possibility of fire. Should one break out, the pressurised containers could explode, and the mixing of substances could contaminate the surrounding area. Trying to extinguish such a fire with water could simply push the toxic compounds deeper into the soil.

Some of the old barrels and containers have already rusted through, so the ministry plans to carry out a hydrogeological survey to check whether their contents have leached into the groundwater. There is no official confirmation yet, but Minister Červený said as early as Monday that groundwater contamination "has most likely already occurred."

Decontamination of the former chemical troops training ground near Prášily is expected to take three years. Besides the Ministry of the Environment, which will oversee the remediation and research work, the army will also take part, providing a bomb-disposal unit, since the area was also once used as a tank and artillery range. Preliminary estimates put the cost at around 200 million koruna.

Around Prague, based on reporting by novinky.cz