Survey of Bečva River after cyanide poising to be commissioned

The Environment Ministry this week will commission an ecological survey of the Bečva River, where cyanide poisoning in September killed all living organisms along a 40-km stretch, including over 32,000 tons of fish.

Environment Minister Richard Brabec told Senators on Wednesday that the level of toxicity is no longer dangerous, but a complete survey into the country’s worst environmental disaster in over a decade is needed.

It has yet to be determined whether, as suspected, the cyanide originated from a former Tesla plant in Rožnov pod Radhoštěm. But the Czech Environmental Inspectorate has ruled out the Valašské Meziříčí chemical plant DEZA, part of the Agrofert concern, Brabec said.

Author: Brian Kenety