Revealing and deeply troubling evidence has emerged about the real dangers posed by explosive materials that remain at the facilities of Hellenic Defence Systems (EAS) in the coastal town of Lavrio, southeast of Athens. The information has come to light in the context of a negotiated procedure for the partial decontamination of the site and suggests that the risks involved are far greater than previously understood by local authorities or the public.
According to official documents from the contracting authority, published by the news outlet Dnews.gr, the situation at the former industrial complex is significantly more serious than earlier assessments had indicated. On 12 December, EAS launched a negotiated tender, without prior public notice, through Greece’s National Electronic Public Procurement System, seeking a contractor to decontaminate and remove ten large tanks located at a former mine-destruction area within the Lavrio facilities. The invitation was sent to a small group of companies with relevant expertise, including Enviroplan, V Group, Polyeco, AECOM and Intergeo.
Material attached to the tender documents has caused particular concern, as it appears that key findings were not previously communicated to the local municipality or to Lavrio’s mayor. The file includes scientific analyses conducted by the National Centre for Scientific Research “Demokritos,” one of Greece’s leading research institutions. Samples taken from the tanks were examined by the Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, producing results that experts describe as alarming.
Laboratory tests revealed extremely high concentrations of military-grade explosives inside the tanks, including TNT, RDX and HMX, along with chemically unstable by-products formed through partial degradation. In some cases, concentrations reach tens of thousands of milligrams per kilogram of dry material—levels far higher than those typically recorded in comparable contaminated sites internationally. Specialists stress that these findings do not indicate inert, long-forgotten residues, but rather active explosive materials with unpredictable behavior. The coexistence of intact explosives and unstable degradation products creates a highly volatile mixture that could react to friction, mechanical stress or rising temperatures. As a result, scientists warn that handling these materials requires the same precautions as dealing with live military explosives, not routine environmental clean-up operations, sharply increasing the level of risk involved.
Beyond the immediate danger of an accident, the Lavrio site also represents a serious environmental and public health threat. The explosives identified, as well as their breakdown products, are considered toxic, persistent in the environment and potentially mutagenic. Under certain conditions, they can migrate into surrounding soil and groundwater. This risk is compounded by the site’s proximity to residential areas and local economic activities. Any leakage or dispersal could have long-term consequences for both the environment and public health. According to information obtained by the media, the chief executive of Hellenic Defence Systems has not formally briefed the mayor of Lavrio on these findings.
The tender documents outline an unusually compressed timetable for a project of such complexity and danger. Companies invited to participate were given only a few days to submit questions and prepare their offers, with the process unfolding during the holiday period. Observers argue that this severely limits the ability of bidders to properly assess the technical, safety and financial aspects of the project.
Concerns are further heightened by the lack of clearly defined and measurable decontamination targets. The tender even refers to the possibility of only “partial neutralization” of the explosive materials inside the tanks, raising questions about the final level of safety that would be achieved and whether the intervention would amount to a permanent solution or merely a temporary containment measure. At the same time, the documents make no reference to existing risk assessments or environmental and technical studies that would normally underpin a project involving large quantities of explosives of uncertain condition.
Estimates of the quantities involved add to the unease. The ten tanks covered by the current project are believed to contain around 40 tonnes of explosive material, while the total amount present across the wider site could be as high as 220 tonnes. This has led to fears that the current operation may be only the first stage in a much larger and more expensive clean-up effort, with overall costs potentially rising into the tens of millions of euros over the coming years.
The deadline for submitting bids is 24 December, with evaluation to begin almost immediately afterward, underscoring the speed at which authorities are attempting to move forward. Once a contractor is selected and the necessary permits are secured, work is expected to begin within days. The main phase of the project, involving the deactivation or neutralization of explosives inside the ten tanks, is scheduled to last six months. A second phase, extending up to a year, would involve removing both the explosive materials and the tanks themselves, bringing the total contract duration to as much as 21 months.
The project’s estimated cost stands at €18.64 million before tax, or €23.11 million including value-added tax, placing it among the most expensive remediation projects of its kind in Greece. Funding is expected to be spread over three years, reflecting both the scale of the problem and the growing concern that Lavrio’s legacy of military-industrial activity may pose long-term risks that have yet to be fully addressed.
