Vítkovice may have the chimney in the former agglomeration demolished

The Society of Saint Wenceslas is striving to save the chimney, claiming it is exceptional in height and mass. The brick chimney has a diameter of 15 meters at the base, and its walls there reach a thickness of up to 1.5 meters; at the top, it has a diameter of nine meters.

However, according to the company, the chimney is contaminated with lead, arsenic, polychlorinated biphenyls, and other carcinogenic substances, posing a risk to residents. "Preparations for the demolition of the chimney are ongoing," stated Jiří Michálek, who participated in the remediation of the former agglomeration on behalf of Vítkovice.

Jan Světlík, the main owner of Vítkovice, stated that the chimney is perhaps the worst remnant of centrally dictated cooperation within the former Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (CMEA) of the countries of the former socialist bloc. "Approximately thirty percent of the ore was brought to Vítkovice from the former USSR, and here it was processed expensively and unnecessarily. The red dust from the production of pellets for blast furnaces from lower iron content ore was notorious. Three million tons of ore negatively impacted the surrounding area, which is still evident in the polluted agglomeration, including the chimney," Světlík mentioned.

The Society of Saint Wenceslas, which believes the chimney is likely a unique feature in all of Europe, has been working to find a new use for the chimney, such as for sports and recreational purposes. However, according to Vítkovice, something like that is not possible, and the area will be suitable for light industry after remediation and cleanup. The remediation of the site is being funded as part of the removal of old environmental burdens by the Ministry of Finance.