Reports say a toxic chemical has been spilled at an abandoned U.S. military base near the site of the planned 2004 Olympic rowing centre.
The former U.S. Navy communications base was shut down about 10 years ago, and is a few miles north of the proposed rowing site, and 20 miles northeast of Athens.
Athens 2004 Olympic officials said they didn’t know about a spill, but Greece’s public works ministry said it was aware of a spill, although it wasn’t sure what chemical it was. It was unclear if the chemical was spilled on dirt or ashpalt, or how the spill occurred.
For months, construction of the rowing venue has pitted Athens’ organizers against environmentalists and archeologists.
The World Wide Fund for Nature and other groups say the project could harm a sensitive wetlands ecosystem, which is home to 176 species of birds; and some archeologists claim it will intrude on the site of the historic battle of Marathon.
