Key facts
During the Second World War, an underground ammunition depot was built in Mitholz, in the canton of Bern. In December 1947, there were several explosions, yet experts estimate that there are still up to 3,500 gross tonnes of ammunition and several hundred tonnes of explosives in the collapsed sections of the plant and in the immediate vicinity. An investigation carried out in 2018 on behalf of the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport (DDPS) found that the risks to the local population and the environment were greater than previously thought.
In its dispatch of 16 November 2022 on a guarantee credit for clearing the former Mitholz ammunition depot, the Federal Council requested a guarantee credit of CHF 2.59 billion. In 2023, the National Council and the Council of States approved the requested guarantee credit. The General Secretariat of the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport (GS-DDPS) is responsible for the project to clear the site.
The Swiss Federal Audit Office (SFAO) carried out an audit to check whether the project and its related projects were being managed and controlled in a targeted manner. The audit findings present a positive overall picture. Nevertheless, the SFAO sees room for improvement, especially with regard to risk and quality management. The culture of the project should also be strengthened. The uncertainties and assumptions within the project remain high over the next few years, and the risks will only reduce slowly over the course of the project.
