The French group Odysseus 3.1External link sent divers to investigate the exact location and condition of unused ammunition that a company called Hispano-Suizo had disposed of in Lake Geneva in the 1950s and 1960s. After the Second World War, the Swiss government had given the army permission to jettison unused military equipment this way. Geneva banned the practice in 1962.
This autumn, the divers found four crates of ammunition at a depth of about 50 meters, announced Odysseus 3.1 on Friday. They are not buried under sediment and therefore quite exposed and considerably more dangerous.
“In ammunition there may be arsenic, cyanide, and carcinogenic products associated with explosives. We don’t want to have that in drinking water or affecting aquatic wildlife,” University of Geneva sediment specialist Stéphanie Girardclos told Swiss public television, RTSExternal link.
According to diver Lionel Rard, the president of Odysseus 3.1, the damaged crates are about 150 meters from a pipeline and a drinking water sensor.
“We simply want the authorities to take action to clean up the lake. We are not here to judge what was done in the past. On the other hand, those who now know what’s happening and who have the means to intervene will be judged by future generations,” he said.
External Content
Gilles Mulhauser, director general of the Geneva Cantonal Water Office, told RTS he was not particularly worried: “In our opinion there is no major pollution in the vicinity of these munitions.”
But he acknowledged that the lack of sediment created a new situation. “We will have to analyze this situation and see to what extent we must order specific works or actions.”
In lakes Brienz, Lucerne and Thun, local authorities have decided it is safer to leave the ammunition in place as it lies about 200 meters under the surface, with enough sediment to ward off corrosion.
More
More
Living on top of old explosives
This content was published on
A report on the risks presented by dormant WWII ammunition in the mountains and lakes.
Swiss football boss wants crackdown on individual hooligans
This content was published on
The head of the Swiss Football League says he prefers a harsher approach to individual hooligans rather than collective punishment measures affecting all fans.
Amherd: Council of Europe is ‘as urgently needed as ever’
This content was published on
The Swiss government emphasised on Sunday the vital role of the Strasbourg-based Council of Europe, 75 years after it was founded.
Swiss minister: Italy will back Switzerland in EU talks
This content was published on
Bern can count on the backing of Italy as it re-enters talks with the European Union on future relations, Viola Amherd says.
Student protestors at University of Lausanne continue pro-Palestine sit-in
This content was published on
Since Thursday, a hall on campus has been occupied by students calling for a boycott of Israeli academic institutions and a ceasefire in Gaza.
This content was published on
Swiss public broadcasters RTS and SRF are drastically reducing their communications via the social network X (formerly Twitter).
Israel: president of Swiss universities rejects academic boycott
This content was published on
Luciana Vaccaro, president of Swissuniversities, the umbrella group of Swiss universities, is not in favour of an academic boycott of Israeli universities.
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
Alpine ammunition storage site deemed intolerable
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.
This content was published on
The ministry’s latest environmental impact survey drew the same conclusions as predecessors in 2008 and 2012 – namely that the munitions were not leaking and the water contained toxins of such minute levels that the water is safe to drink. In 2012, it concluded that it is better to leave the munitions where they are…
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.