Czech Army to remediate chemical contamination in Šumava National Park

The Czech government has decided that the Czech Army will undertake the remediation of a heavily contaminated site in the Šumava National Park. The site, located in the former military area of Dobrá Voda near Zhůří, contains approximately 1,000 tons of contaminated soil and 200 barrels of hazardous chemicals.

The decision, announced by Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, follows a period of political debate regarding the selection of a contractor. Environment Minister Igor Červený had initially proposed the company Dekonta, which had previously conducted surveys and smaller-scale cleanup operations in the area. However, the government rejected this proposal due to concerns over the lack of a standard tender process and potential political links between the company and members of the Motorist party.

The remediation project is estimated to cost 192 million CZK and is scheduled to begin in late September 2026, with work expected to continue until June 2028. While the government opted for the military to demonstrate its operational capabilities, some critics have questioned whether the armed forces possess the specific specialized training required for such complex chemical decontamination tasks.