To the winners go the spoils?

by Sarah Roe

Military pollution
The legacy of Russian occupation still dots the Central and Eastern European landscape. Hundreds of former Soviet military bases pose a considerable threat to human health and the environment. Oil, gas and petrol pollute the soil, due to intensive fuelling activities. Old ammunition taints the soil with heavy metals and chemical contamination. This pollution filters through the soil to aquifers, affecting the groundwater supply, which is especially risky. "When contamination reaches the groundwater it goes everywhere and becomes a real danger for nature," explains environmental engineer Judit Toth. Several bases, such as Komarom in Hungary, lie very close to a water supply. If pollutants reach the groundwater in these areas there is a very real health risk.

Western countries have been dealing with such problems for some time, but Central and Eastern Europe has only just begun to tackle the situation. "These types of problems are the same for all military activities, but in countries like the USA, environmental experts are experienced in working with them," notes Imre Biczo of the Center for Hungarian/American Environmental Research at Budapest's Technical University. Additionally, former Soviet bases typically have more extreme problems due to the lack of resources now and the extent of negligent behaviour during their operation. For example, many of the pumps used for fuel were originally designed as water hoses for fire engines, and therefore regularly sprang leaks. Inattentive guards also often allowed fuel tanks to overflow.

Financial limitations
Governments of the region have all tackled the environmental effects of Soviet military bases to some extent. But the financial burden of such a large problem is huge. A partial clean-up of the Vac-Mariaudvar site in Hungary alone cost approximately HUF 50 million (USD 225,000).

"No bases have been fully cleaned up," says Biczo. The limited funds available for such projects in the region have only allowed governments to localise such environmental problems, not remove the pollution, according to Biczo. For example, in cases where oil has contaminated the soil, clean-ups have tended to focus on extracting the oil from the groundwater, rather than cleaning the soil. This means that although the problem is solved in the short-term, oil will continue to filter through from the soil. Some governments have installed barriers to localise contamination. Biczo argues, however, that these barriers break down and allow the seepage of pollutants back into the ecosystem.

Conservation solution
The World Conservation Union (IUCN) has identified former military sites that it believes should be designated for nature protection in Central Europe. It hopes that the areas can be used for tourism or sustainable agriculture.

Komarom, for example, is of historic importance. The base was first established by Hungarians during the Turkish wars, taking advantage of its strategic location next to the Danube River. Many of the buildings nearby are of significant architectural interest.

Military bases have traditionally attracted the attention of conservationists, since in many ways their high security offered protection from the effects of agriculture and forestry on natural habitat. "Former Soviet military bases have received very bad press, but parts of them have a very high level of undisturbed species," points out Liz Hopkins of IUCN.

Many of these bases contain several advanced biomes. The base at Silicka Planina in Slovakia, for example, is one of the richest floristic regions in the country. Grasslands and forests are particularly represented. Forest communities in Central Europe have the highest biomass and the widest microhabitat range; they contain the majority of biological diversity. Grasslands and wetlands are crucial for birdlife, especially the migrating winter species, and home to rare species such as the great bustard.

Financing cleanups Although the problem of former Soviet bases has attracted much discussion, suggestions have largely been confined to paperwork at this stage. "We haven't really promoted these ideas yet," admits Hopkins. It is difficult to persuade cash-strapped governments to look at the long-term options. One route may be to develop business interest in helping to clean up the sites.

A military base at Szekesfehervar in Hungary, for example, is now a successful industrial park with Western companies such as Philips and Stollwerck. However, this had more to do with the city's excellent location and labour force than the attractions of the base. Short-term solutions are likely to remain the approach taken for most sites in the region. Turning bases into industrial parks also reduces conservation opportunities.