[CPEO-MEF] Toxic Nazi legacy threatens Europe

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Toxic Nazi legacy threatens Europe

Concern as German chemical weapons dumped off Danish coast by Britain 
after the second world war start leaking into seas
By Rob Edwards, Environment Correspondent

More than half a century ago, Britain dumped over 100,000 tonnes of the 
Nazi's deadly chemical weapons in the sea. Now they are coming back to 
haunt us.

Scientists fear millions of ancient shells and bombs resting on the 
short stretch of seabed between Denmark and Norway have begun to leak 
their lethal payload. Danish fishermen have been injured, Norway has 
launched an investigation and coastal authorities are worried a 
'historic time bomb' could be about to explode.

The Sunday Herald has obtained a copy of a report by the Ministry of 
Defence which details for the first time the extraordinary scale of the 
postwar operation to get rid of Germany's chemical weapons. Between 1945 
and 1947, at least 112,000 tonnes were loaded into 33 German boats, 
which were then scuttled in Skagerrak, the strait across the North Sea 
that separates Norway and Denmark (see table).

The chemicals, confiscated from Hitler's Third Reich at the end of the 
second world war, were mustard gas, phosgene, tabun and lewisite, all of 
which can inflict appalling injuries. They may also have included 
hydrocyanic acid and Cyclone B, two of the poisons used to murder 
millions of Jews in Nazi concentration camps.

This article can be viewed in its entirety at:
http://www.sundayherald.com/25477

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