A criminal complaint has been filed this week against an unknown party for contamination of groundwater in the Zitny Ostrov region, in the south west of Slovakia.
The suit alleges environmental harm and a threat to human health, citing detection of the herbicide Atrazine in the drinking water of area towns and villages.
There is evidence that Atrazine interferes with reproduction and development, and may cause cancer.
The herbicide was banned by the European Union in 2003 because of "ubiquitous and unpreventable water contamination".
Slovak Minister of Environment Laszlo Solymos said this week that Atrazine was used in agriculture in the country from 1998 to 2005, but takes some time to decompose, that it may take a few more years for the chemical to decompose, and that his ministry was monitoring the situation.
The Slovak Environment Ministry is reported to be preparing legislation for "protected water management areas" that will consolidate responsibilities currently held by diverse institutions across health and agriculture portfolios.