Second Phase of Benzene Spill Cleanup in Hustopeče nad Bečvou Delayed as Tender Is Challenged at Antitrust Office

The second phase of cleanup work following the train derailment that spilled benzene in Hustopeče nad Bečvou has been delayed — the tender for the project is currently under review by the Czech antitrust office, ÚOHS. According to the state enterprise Diamo, which spent months preparing the competition, a winner was originally expected to be announced around the turn of July and August. However, the terms had to be adjusted during the bidding process, pushing back the deadline for submissions.

Bids were assessed not only by Diamo representatives but also by specialists from the Ministry of the Environment and the Ministry of Industry and Trade. The company explains that the scale and sensitivity of this public contract required additional expert review.

Work on Site Never Stopped

Despite the delay in launching the second phase, the company's spokesperson says remediation work on the contaminated site has continued without interruption. Meanwhile, Diamo has made progress in settling property arrangements with the owners of the affected plots, whose land the company needs to lease in order to carry out the second cleanup phase.

Around forty landowners are involved, covering an area of 11.25 hectares. "As for the land plots, Diamo has already signed agreements with owners covering roughly 80 percent of the total contaminated area. For the remaining plots, we're dealing with more complicated cases — shared ownership among several owners or unresolved inheritance proceedings. Two owners have already expressed interest in a land swap," said company spokesperson Kristýna Hanušová.

The Largest Environmental Disaster of Its Kind in Czechia

A freight train carrying benzene derailed in Hustopeče nad Bečvou at the end of February last year. Several of the tanker cars caught fire in a massive blaze, and the toxic substance seeped into the soil and groundwater. The incident is considered one of the largest environmental disasters of its kind in Czech history.

The site cleanup has been split into several phases and, according to earlier estimates, is expected to take several years. Police are investigating the case on suspicion of negligent damage to and endangerment of the environment, as well as negligent creation of a public hazard. The investigation is still ongoing, a police spokesperson said. According to a report from the Transport Inspection Authority, the main cause of the accident was an error by the train drivers, who entered the station at twice the permitted speed.

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Around Prague, based on reporting by ekolist.cz