Tons of Hazardous Chemicals Found in Former Military Zone in Šumava — Cleanup to Begin in September

In Šumava National Park, on the site of the former Dobrá Voda military zone in the Klatovy region, roughly 1,000 tons of contaminated soil and 200 barrels of hazardous chemicals have been discovered. The find was announced by Environment Minister Igor Červeny (Motoristé party).

Among the substances found are dioxins, furans, mercury, arsenic and chlorinated solvents. The ministry has not yet disclosed the exact locations of all the contaminated sites.

Cleanup work to start this September

Decontamination work is set to begin in late September and, according to the ministry's estimates, will continue until June 2028. The cleanup is expected to cost around 192 million koruna.

Hiking trails in Šumava will not be closed, however — the discovery of the chemicals will not affect visitors' access to the park.

A legacy of the former military range

The Dobrá Voda military zone near the village of Prášily was used by the army for nearly 40 years, from its establishment in 1952. The government decommissioned the training ground in 1991, the same year Šumava National Park was founded on the site. The former military area covered more than 17,000 hectares.

The park's administration declined to comment, referring all questions to the Ministry of the Environment, which oversees the Czech Republic's national parks.

Around Prague, based on reporting by ekolist.cz