Residents of the village of Mitholz in the Bernese Alps may have to leave their homes for ten years due to a large-scale operation to clean up and secure an old ammunition depot containing 3,500 tonnes of ammunition and explosives, authorities have said.
Preparations for the operation will also last a decade, with costs expected to run to over a billion francs, Defence Minister Viola Amherd said on Tuesday in Mitholz.
The plans for clearance come after a report by the Federal Office for the EnvironmentExternal link concluded last year that the 3,500 tonnes of ammunition and explosives stored in the underground site posed a bigger danger than previously assumed.
The defence ministry says that never before has a former weapons stockpile been cleared under such difficult conditions.
For example, the ‘Dreispitz’ rock formation which covers the stockpile is unstable and can only be removed in layers; while a new road may also need to be built to ensure that the towns of Kandersteg and the municipality of Kandergrund remain connected.
Meanwhile, some 170 residents of the village may have to leave their homes to facilitate the clearance, but not until 2031 at the earliest, when the preparation work is completed.
A contingency plan of covering the whole area with rock and burying the ammunition remains an option, but is neither the preferred choice of authorities nor of residents, who do not wish to leave “a toxic gift for descendants”, as project manager Hanspeter Aellig said at a media conference on Tuesday.
The Mitholz site was the scene of a tragedy in 1947, when part of the 7,000 tonnes of explosives in the underground depot, which consisted of six rooms under a mountain connected by a trans-alpine railway tunnel, exploded and killed nine people.
Protein in abdominal fat could help shape obesity treatment
This content was published on
The study analysed fat cells from different locations in the body, and found that those in the abdomen have unique properties.
North African asylum claims fall after rapid Swiss processing
This content was published on
The accelerated procedure, now out of its test phase, has resulted in a significant drop in applications from North African countries.
This content was published on
The artist's song "The Code" focuses on their journey as a nonbinary individual. It is one of the favourites to win this year's contest.
Swiss climate activists block vehicles near Gotthard tunnel
This content was published on
Around ten climate activists briefly blocked the A2 motorway near the northern entrance of the Gotthard tunnel on Thursday.
Watches belonging to Michael Schumacher up for auction
This content was published on
Schumacher's family is auctioning off eight rare watches from his collection in Geneva. The Christie's auction will take place on Monday.
Joya Marleen and Baschi named best solo acts at Swiss Music Awards
This content was published on
St. Gallen singer Joya Marleen and Baschi from Basel were named artists of the year at the Swiss Music Awards 2024 on Wednesday night.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
No clearance of former munitions stockpile in sight
This content was published on
In July 2018, residents of the mountain village were shocked to find out that an ammunition storage site that had exploded 70 years earlier, could still present a danger to the public. The people who live here feel that action isn’t being taken quickly enough, and they’re worried about the future. (SRF/swissinfo.ch)
This content was published on
The government environment agency has confirmed that a former ammunition stockpile at Mitholz is an unacceptable risk for the local population.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.