Czech government extends state of emergency over chemical spill near Hustopeče yet again

At its first meeting after its summer break, the Czech government extended the state of emergency in Hustopeče nad Bečvou — declared after a February train accident involving benzene — by another 30 days. Speaking to journalists Environment Minister Petr Hladík said clean-up work is progressing and he hopes this fifth extension will be the final one, allowing the special regime to end around September 20. The state of emergency enables less red tape and a faster organization of soil and water decontamination. The government can only extend the regime in 30-day intervals. Hladík earlier said the total cost of the clean-up work should not exceed CZK 1 billion, with most of the pollution expected to be cleared by November.