Pollution Delays Cleanup Of Swiss Munitions Dump

(MENAFN- Swissinfo) An operation to cleanup a World War II ammunition depot in Switzerland will be delayed by two years after unexpectedly high levels of contaminated materiel was discovered. Select your language

Generated with artificial intelligence. Listening: Pollution delays cleanup of Swiss munitions dump This content was published on May 29, 2026 - 13:40 3 minutes SRF

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Because of the large volume of material with varying levels of contamination at Mitholz in the Bernese Oberland, the cleanup has become more complex. The overall project will take longer with completion now expected in 2047, two years later than previously planned.

On December 19, 1947, part of the 7,000 tonnes of munitions and explosives stored in the facility blew up, killing nine people. The site was considered safe until 2018 when the government ordered it to be cleared of remaining ordinance.

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