Under the planned arena in Pardubice lies an old landfill

Pardubice - Under the planned multifunctional arena in the Nová Cihelna area in Pardubice, which is estimated to cost more than ten billion crowns, there is a municipal waste dump. It dates back to the second half of the last century. It is covered with soil and overgrown with vegetation, said Alena Chvojková, the deputy director of the Hradec Králové regional inspectorate of the Czech Environmental Inspectorate, in a written statement to ČTK. If the investor wants to build there, they need to remediate the dump first.

According to Chvojková, the investor must proceed in such a way during the preparation and actual construction to prevent the possible expansion of contamination into the surrounding environment. "All work must be carried out under the supervision of a person professionally qualified in hydrogeological and remediation work," stated the deputy director.

According to the inspectorate, there is solid municipal waste located in the area. The dump is mentioned in the municipality's record of old burdens. According to their information, it comes from the 1970s to 1980s. Topsoil was dumped on it. "At that time, there were different technical possibilities; no one was addressing the precise location of the dump. In the 1980s, there was also no such waste documentation as is required by current legislation," said Miroslav Míča, head of the environmental department. The municipality and the inspectorate do not have information on the actual size of the dump.

The hall is to be constructed by entrepreneur Petr Dědek, who, through his company, owns the majority of shares in the Pardubice hockey club. He refused to comment on the dump and the multifunctional arena project. He does not want media coverage of the hall. He wants his team to have peace to work, he stated.

In the past, Dědek said the arena would hold 22,300 people and that his ambition is to start the season in 2027. The cost and duration of the remediation of the site will depend on the extent of the work. Currently, according to the Environmental Inspectorate, the dump does not pose a risk to the surroundings. During the remediation, the investor must fully respect the recommendations of experts on how to safely excavate the dump without contaminating the surrounding water and soil.

"The dump is probably under the entire hall. It's a mess. The Road and Motorways Directorate has already dealt with and remediated part of the dump, which is located near the construction of the northeast bypass. If the investor excavates the dump at Nová Cihelna, it would be only good for us as it would remove the ecological burden," said Mayor Jan Nadrchal (ANO).

The planned hall bothers some residents of the Cihelna housing estate. They are concerned about excessive traffic. There are also plans for residential buildings for up to 5,000 people and a healthcare facility focused on rehabilitation. According to the mayor, the investment will bring economic prosperity to the city. An area study is being created for this purpose. The municipality has discussed this with three investors.

"For the city, it is a huge success that we managed to bring all three players to the same table; negotiations lasted three quarters of a year. I understand the concerns of the people. We know that the hall is entirely on a dump, that there is an ecological burden. I think excavating the dump will take about a year. I believe the costs will be enormous, but that is a matter for the investor," added Deputy Mayor René Živný (Together for Pardubice).