[Environment Report]:Old Chemical Weapons in the Baltic Sea


This is the VOA Special English Environment Report.

The Baltic Sea is home to thousands of tons of old chemicalweapons. Britain, the Soviet Union and the United States capturedthese from Nazi Germany. The Allies thought the best thing to do wasto sink them, sometimes on ships, after World War Two. Poisons likearsenic, sarin and mustard gas are among the weapons in the Baltic.Some bombs and shells under the sea date back to World War One.

Scientists say damage caused by the water has permitted poisonsto leak out of their containers. Some are mixing with sand and othersea material. Thick and sticky balls of mustard gas have formed.Fishing crews have pulled up bombs and shells. Some people havesuffered chemical burns.

Fishing boats do not always obey restricted areas. Nor do theyalways know where weapons are located.

The Helsinki Commission is an intergovernmental group thatsupervises the Baltic Sea environment. The commission has publishedguidelines on how fishing boats can avoid risky areas. These alsoadvise fishing crews what to do if they pull up weapons. Included ismedical advice and information on how to clean boats after such anincident.

But, the commission says the weapons do not harm the Baltic Seain any measurable way. It says current information suggests there isno risk to plants or animals in the sea. And, it says there is noevidence that poisons have gotten into seafood for humans.

The commission says the best way to deal with the weapons is toleave them alone. It says time will destroy what remains. It arguesthat attempts to remove or contain them are riskier than leavingthem under the sea where they may be buried under sand.

But not all scientists agree. Some say the situation is too riskyto leave alone. Vadim Paka is the director of the Institute ofOceanography in Kaliningrad, Russia. He says any highly poisonoussubstance in the Baltic Sea system is dangerous. Mister Paka saysthe situation requires more study. He says failing to so could leadto tragedy.

Other waters around the world also hold weapons. But some peoplesay the Baltic Sea may be at greater risk. It is only fifty metersdeep on average. And it is a major shipping area with many peopleliving along its coasts.

This VOA Special English Environment Report was written by CatyWeaver.

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