3 November 2009

BOR - With the construction of the smelter begins the solving of the biggest ecological problem at the mining and smelting complex Rudarsko Topionicarski Basen Bor. The effects of the several decades worth of pollution still remain. The news that the citizens of Bor, one of the most polluted cities in the Balkans, had waited for decades, was finally announced.
The expert team of the world’s largest engineering firm SNC Lavalin from Canada, comprised of experts from Toronto, London and Chile, assisted by the team from Rudarsko Topionicarski Basen Bor (RTB), began to collect data for the feasibility study for the construction of the new copper smelter in Bor.

The start of the construction of the new smelter was announced for the spring, and the project, according to the projection made by RTB, should not surpass the amount of 130 million USD.

Following the suggestion of the international partners, the new smelter will use the ecologically clean flash smelting technology of the Finish firm "Outotec". This method for the smelting of copper enables the technological exploitation of copper and sulfur dioxide of up to 90 percent, which means that this and other poisonous gases and heavy metals, including arsenic, will not be emitted into the atmosphere or accumulated in the surrounding soil and water courses, endangering the health of people and plant and animal life.

"I expect for the construction of the new smelter to be completed in 35 to 40 months", says Blagoje Spasovski, general director of RTB Bor. "The improved technological exploitation of copper and sulfur dioxide will be useful for both ecology and economy, and the cost of the new smelter will not exceed the amount of 130 million USD that the State is prepared to invest through merchandise credit", states Spasovski.

Inder Basin, chief project manager from "SNC Lavalin", states that this project is of great importance for both his company and RTB Bor.

"We are working together to build a new smelter and sulfuric acid plant, but also to create the conditions in which the mines in Bor and Majdanpek would be able to secure enough ore and copper concentrate for new plants" says Basin, stating that the feasibility study will be prepared by the best resources of the company. When the new smelter and acid plant are completed, only part of the accumulated ecological problems of this town and its surroundings will be solved. The skies over Bor will be clearer, but, before and after that, work needs to be done to reduce the effects of the centenary mining in this area, which left behind polluted air, dead rivers and other water courses, damaged and ruined agricultural land and over 11,000 tons of industrial and other waste per each citizen of Bor municipality.

LEAP - signpost for environmental protection and damage removal

Bor is the first municipality in Serbia to adopt the Local environmental action plan in 2003, on the initiative of the Young explorers’ club from Bor, in cooperation with the UNEP/UNOPS mission and the Regional environmental centre. The document directs special attention to air quality analysis, water supply and the protection of waters, soil pollution, waste, the quality of provisions and protection of natural heritage and biodiversity.

"The implementation of the most important tasks planned by the document is late, the same as the construction of the new smelter, but it is better to begin late than never", says Toplica Marjanovic, former coordinator of LEAP team, now assistant director for environment at the "Copper smelter and refinery" in Bor. "Big ecological problems threaten to become bigger if they are not solved and the risk of ecological accidents is increasing, with consequences that can be catastrophic for Western and Central Balkans, Danube and the Black Sea", warns Marjanovic.

Dragan Jankucic, president of the Ecological movement "Ekoagenda 7/1935" from Bor thinks that air pollution is currently the biggest ecological problem in Bor. "The atmosphere contains carcinogenic elements, arsenic, cadmium, copper, mercury, lead, all above allowed values, the particles are accumulating in the soil, and in the most exposed villages it is not recommended to plant root cultures", says Jankucic. "The problem in the past was that this type of information was not announced to the public, while now it is publicly known", he adds. The monitoring of air quality in Bor is now performed using three measuring stations - two belong to the Ministry of environmental protection and one belongs to the municipality. One more station is planned to be placed at the Mining and metallurgy institute.

"The monitoring in real-time is performed of the percentage of poisonous gases in the air, the concentration and size of the suspended particles and the meteorological parameters, and if the borderline values are reached, the copper smelter reacts according to the valid action plan, and the production is reduced or completely shut down", explains Ljiljana Lekic Dzamic, head of the Section for commerce and protection of environment of the municipality of Bor. The information from the two stations is available to the public on the website of the Serbian Environmental Protection Agency at www.sepa.sr.gov.rs or through the information published by the local media.

The data shows that every year the chimneys in Bor emit over 200,000 tons of sulfur dioxide and 300 tons of arsenic into the air. Sulfur dioxide, arsenic and heavy metals are constantly present in the air, even when the smelter is not working with full capacity. The concentration of sulfur dioxide in the most populated part of town is above the allowed level at least 100 days every year. The concentration of arsenic is between 73 and 102 times above the allowed level.

As the inevitable result of this constant state of emergency when it comes to air quality, we have the development of dangerous respiratory diseases in people, and children are the most vulnerable. Every child visits a physician 5 to 6 times a year due to respiratory diseases. We also registered an increased number of malignant diseases and other illnesses with tragic outcome.

How to revive dead rivers?

The effects of the long-lasting human neglect can also be seen in the polluted rivers, streams and springs. Borska River had been dead for a long time and for decades, along the riverbed before its confluence into Timok, there were no fish, crabs or other plant and animal life, and the shores were a wasteland. Over 2,000 hectares of the most fertile agricultural land was destroyed. A similar situation can be seen down Timok River, along the riverbed before its confluence into Danube, and the effects can most probably be seen all the way to the Black Sea. Waste waters come from mining, industry and households. Except for the used and unprocessed waters, water courses receive products of the natural etching of mining pits, landfills and tailings ponds.

According to the data from LEAP document, the water courses receive a larger part of waste water from its sources, and annually over 22 million cubic metres are being dumped. These waters are being dumped with no or insufficient processing into Borska, Kriveljska, Brestovacka and Ravna River. Underground and surface waters receive etchings of overburdens and abandoned mining facilities. With the leaching of the old flotation tailings pond, a large amount of flotation tailings ended up in Borska and Veliki Timok River.

The experts have been warning for a long time that the waste waters from the Mining and smelting complex Bor were a cross-border and regional problem. They endanger all settlements on the shores of contaminated rivers in Serbia and Bulgaria and seriously affect the quality of water of Danube River, since they contaminate it with an excessive amount of sulfate, arsenic and heavy metals. The solving of this problem is of extreme importance, not just for Serbia but for the entire Western Balkan region.

Sooty town with a green ring

Although Bor is among the most polluted towns in this part of Serbia and the Balkans, its immediate surroundings abounds with remarkable natural and tourist jewels, uncontaminated and almost virginal, untouched nature. In close vicinity to Bor we have Zlotske Caves - Vernjikica and Lazareva, Borsko Lake, Stol Mountain, Zlot Canyon and the barely inhabited mountain range of Juzni Kucaj. Big efforts are invested to protect this natural treasure and resources, and the citizens of Bor like to say that their town is the town of smoke with a green ring, surrounded by natural, fairytale beauties.

"Last year we have completed the renovation of Lazareva Cave and it was reopened for tourists. It was renovated according to the rules of the Institute for Nature Conservation of Serbia, so that there would be no disturbance of the natural ambience or threat for the wild life in the cave. The Tourist Organization of Bor took upon itself to look after the cave, and its maintenance came under the care of the municipal Department for environmental protection", says Ljiljana Markovic Lukovic, Senior associate of this department.

By the decision of the Serbian Government the State put under its protection, as the natural monument and natural heritage of great importance, part of the basin of Lazareva River and Malinik Mountain - Lazarev Canyon. With this regulation, this area is categorized as natural heritage of great importance. The area known as "Zlotska Klisura Gorge" was put on the list of the most significant ornithological areas in Europe, with the surface of 2,000 - 3,000 hectares. It is under the care of the State Enterprise for Forest Management "Srbijasume".

With their natural resources, Bor and its surroundings present one of the most interesting geographical areas in Serbia. The area earned these characteristics with its geological structure, morphology and geology of the terrain, climate and complex historical development of wildlife.

The renewable natural resources and biodiversity present great potential for the development and survival of this area. The development of new branches of industry, with the sustainable exploitation of these resources, with the removal of hazardous effects of the centenary mining and environmental contamination, are a challenge and a chance for the future and survival of the population in these lands.

Source: EkoForum