Clearing of Former Ammunition Depot in Mitholz: National Council to Decide on CHF 2.59 Billion Loan

The people of Mitholz have experienced an emotional rollercoaster ride over the past few years and months. First they received the bad news that the former ammunition depot still poses a danger and that most of the 165 residents will have to leave their village for ten or more years. The DDPS later corrected that “only” 51 people had to move away from the danger zone.

Last February, the sudden halt to the march: the Security Policy Commission of the National Council (SiK-N) decided to put the whole deal on hold for a year so that alternatives to eliminating the residues, which would cost billions (e.g. encapsulation), could be examined again – with the result that the federal government could no longer buy the houses of the people in the danger zone. At the end of March, however, the SiK-N reversed its decision. The National Council will deal with the 2.59 billion franc loan for the eviction in its special session next week.

During a technical discussion on Thursday morning, Mitholz project manager Adrian Goetschi once again explained the composition of the commitment loan. This is divided into two tranches: The first, amounting to CHF 1.09 billion, will be used to prepare for the evacuation and for protective measures and is to be released with the decision of Parliament. A further 740 million is earmarked for the clearance and disposal of the munitions residues, as well as the restoration of the site and the resettlement of Mitholz.

The Federal Council will decide on the release of this second tranche depending on the progress of the project. The last CHF 760 million includes reserves for project risks and the expected inflation (CHF 340 million). In view of the current surge in inflation, the “sums are not luxuriously equipped,” Goetschi noted. He also emphasized that most of the financing would come from provisions that had already been booked in the DDPS General Secretariat and that the debt brake would therefore not be burdened.

After the SiK-N interlude, Goetschi again went into the three cheaper evacuation alternatives of backfilling, sealing and encapsulation. With all three ammunition would remain in the mountain and thus an “unquantifiable risk” would remain, he emphasized: “Only with an evacuation will it be permanently eliminated.” Furthermore, although the risk of explosion would be averted by the additional variants, the pollutant situation would not be eliminated. The former ammunition depot is located in a water protection zone – special measures must be taken to prevent the pollutants from being washed out.

At the end of the technical discussion, a journalist wanted to know what would happen if Parliament rejected the loan. Goetschi pointed out that the federal government, as the owner of the former ammunition depot, is legally obliged to implement safety measures to reduce the risks. If the loan were unexpectedly sent back, “what needs to be done would have to be reassessed,” says Goetschi. “We don’t have a plan B.”