Switzerland Seeks Ideas for Safe Lake Munition Removal
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(CNN) Switzerland has launched a competition to find solutions for safely removing old munitions submerged in its picturesque lakes. The three best ideas will share a prize of 50,000 Swiss francs, and although they won't be implemented immediately, they may inspire future research. The munitions, discarded between 1918 and 1964 in lakes such as Thun, Brienz, and Lucerne, pose significant challenges due to their depth, condition, and the environmental risks of recovery.
Past assessments suggested that existing methods would disturb the lake's ecosystem, and non-magnetic materials in some munitions further complicate retrieval. Armasuisse, the federal office organizing the contest, hopes to involve academia and industry in developing environmentally friendly recovery methods. The competition runs until February 2025, with winners announced in April. Switzerland has previously addressed historic munitions, including the dangerous removal of explosives from a depot in Mitholz that led to a deadly explosion in 1947.
