Former shooting range Jena Zwätzen

City takes protection of residents from dangerous exposure seriously

Required remediation plan commissioned for further decision at the former Zwätzen shooting range

In September 2019, the Environmental Protection Department was informed that a resident from the Himmelreich residential area had independently taken a soil sample from the former shooting range site. This showed high levels of contamination, particularly in the parameter lead.

In consultation with the Higher Soil Protection Authority, AFRY Deutschland GmbH was then commissioned by the Environmental Protection Department to carry out a historical investigation and a subsequent indicative investigation of the contaminated site. As a result, the test values according to the Federal Soil Protection and Contaminated Sites Ordinance were significantly exceeded in some areas, thus confirming the suspicion of contaminated sites. A fence had to be erected as a short-term hazard prevention measure.

The mayor of the district was informed personally and the public in the form of a press release by the city administration about the necessary measures to secure the site.

Detailed investigation of the contaminated areas

In accordance with the system for dealing with contaminated sites under the Federal Soil Protection Act (BBodSchG), the next step was to carry out a detailed investigation of the contaminated sites. The aim of this further investigation was to spatially delimit the areas of contamination identified in the preliminary investigation. To this end, JENA-GEOS-Ingenieurbüro GmbH was commissioned to carry out the necessary work. The corresponding report was completed in January 2023. As a result, the contamination identified in the previous investigations was once again confirmed by experts.

Remediation by means of soil excavation necessary

Accordingly, there is a risk at the site via the soil-human impact pathway. However, a risk to the groundwater could be ruled out. As a hazard prevention measure, the expert also recommends erecting a fence to interrupt free accessibility. Furthermore, as part of the investigations carried out, the contaminated areas were demarcated horizontally and vertically and three remediation zones with a total area of approx. 3,000 m² were identified, for which remediation by means of soil excavation is necessary. In principle, it must be assumed that there are munitions in the ground across the entire site, which also represent a potential hazard. Delaboration - i.e. the detection and removal of munitions - is therefore being examined for the entire forest area.

Danger from military remains

The increasingly dilapidated military remains also pose an acute danger. The baffle walls at the end of the firing ranges were made of bricks. Moisture and the effects of frost have caused individual bricks and even entire sections of the structures to become detached and fall off. Action must therefore also be taken here in the interests of road safety.

A renovation plan must be drawn up in preparation for a later renovation. This is not yet available - the city administration is currently preparing the invitation to tender for the corresponding planning services. The remediation plan will deal with organizational issues such as the use of technology, access routes, areas for construction site equipment, coordination of the previous explosive ordnance clearance, etc. and estimate the expected remediation costs. Due to the dense vegetation, tree felling will be necessary in any case to clear the site, the extent of which cannot be determined at this stage.

From a soil protection point of view, the existing hazards will only be eliminated and the fence can only be dismantled once the remediation work has been carried out.

Background

The shooting range is an area that was formerly used for military purposes from around 1930 to 1953. Subsequently, the area continued to be used by the Soviet army, among others. The area has been unused since the early 1990s at the latest and has been left to natural succession, resulting in a small forest today.

The site of the former Zwätzen firing range is registered in the Thuringian Contaminated Sites Information System (THALIS) due to its previous use. It is a plot of land owned by the city of Jena. In accordance with Section 11 of the Thuringian Soil Protection Act, responsibility in this case lies with the Higher Soil Protection Authority of the Thuringian State Office for the Environment, Mining and Nature Conservation (TLUBN).