Switzerland offers a 50,000 francs prize for innovative ideas to safely remove 7,800 tonnes of old munitions from Lakes Lucerne, Thun, and Neuchatel.

Switzerland offers a 50,000 francs ($45,000) prize for innovative ideas to safely remove 7,800 tonnes of old munitions from its lakes, particularly Lakes Lucerne, Thun, and Neuchatel. The Swiss military previously used these lakes as disposal sites, with Lake Lucerne containing 3,300 tonnes and Lake Neuchatel, used for bombing practice until 2021, having 4,500 tonnes. Recovery could cost billions and pose risks of explosion and TNT pollution.