For residents of the town of Libis in the Czech Republic, last year’s terrible floods are more than a bad memory: They are an on-going nightmare. Libis is located not far from the Spolana chemical plant in central Bohemia, which leaked more than 1,100 pounds of toxics into the Elbe River when floodwaters inundated the plant’s facilities. Now, the state veterinary commission has found that some animal products from Libis, such as eggs, chicken, and fish, are contaminated with the pesticide DDT, banned in the region since the 1970s, as well as mercury, PCBs, and HCB (hexachlorbenzen). Food grown in private gardens is also likely to be contaminated. Still, the people of Libis are philosophical: As one said, “We always knew the chemicals [from Spolana] would do us some harm. There was always a smell in the air. But under communism you couldn’t do anything about it. We are not happy, but we are here. What can we do?”
