Join us for a technical webinar with guest speaker Ondrej Lhotsky, Ph.D. (Dekonta), co-presented by Jack Shore (REGENESIS), showcasing the emergency response and remediation strategy implemented following a major railway accident involving pure benzene in eastern Czechia.
Described as one of the most significant inland benzene spills in Europe, in February 2025, a freight train transporting pure benzene derailed and caught fire. The accident released hundreds of tonnes of benzene, which infiltrated the shallow, highly permeable gravel aquifer beneath the site and threatened to impact a nearby lake.
The incident required an immediate, large scale response to prevent the rapid migration of free phase and dissolved benzene toward a sensitive surface water body.
Dekonta, acting as an environmental emergency response contractor supporting the Czech Integrated Rescue System, was tasked with both emergency response and remediation under exceptionally demanding time constraints.
Highlights of this Free Webinar:
- Rapid migration of free phase (LNAPL) and dissolved benzene
- Highly permeable gravel geology with groundwater velocities of up to several metres per day
- Immediate risk to a nearby lake and connected surface waters
- The need to operate under a declared state of emergency
This webinar describes how PetroFix® was integrated into the emergency remediation framework to rapidly prevent further spread of the contamination, immediately protecting groundwater and the adjacent lake. PetroFix has also enhanced the biological degradation of contamination, avoiding the need for extractive processes.
This project highlights the importance of close collaboration between emergency responders, remediation contractors, and technology providers. The coordinated effort between Dekonta and REGENESIS allowed for rapid piloting, design validation, and full scale implementation within a very short timeframe. The webinar explores the emergency site assessment and decision-making process, examine the containment and hydraulic control measures implemented, and present key results and performance data.
