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Inventory, Regulations and Environmental Impact
of Toxic Mining Wastes in Pre-Accession
Countries
A JRC Project in Association with Central and Eastern European Pre-Accession Countries
Project Leader : Giovanni Bidoglio
involve Pre-Accession Countries in an
EU research action on the
environmental impact of mining waste in
collaboration with DG Environment and
EEA
Recent events have brought back to the attention of the media the issue of toxic waste lagoons
connected to mining. The Baia Mare and Borsa accidents are just the latest of a series of accidents
involving toxic mining waste. In 1998 a similar accident occurred at the Aznalcollar mine in southern
Spain with an estimated cost of over 100 million Euros.
Data from EUROSTAT/OECD surveys show that mining wastes rank first in the relative
contribution of wastes in many Central and Eastern European Countries. For instance, mining
activities in the former Czechoslovakia generated ten times the amount of waste produced by the
industrial sector (EEA, 1999). In general, however, there is a substantial gap in information on the
management of mining wastes in Pre-Accession countries and on the location of toxic waste
lagoons, including those that have been abandoned.
Compile an inventory of toxic waste sites from mineral mining in Pre-Accession
countries in relation to “sensitive” catchment areas, by combining an indicator
approach according to the DPSIR framework and an analysis of satellite remote
sensing
Mining for resources to satisfy energy and raw material requirements can seriously alter the
composition of the landscape, disrupting land use and drainage patterns, contaminating soil and
water resources, and removing habitats for wildlife. With respect to mining wastes, PreAccession countries are facing more acute problems than EU Member States. Agenda 2000
highlights the need for these countries to meeting the requirements of the environmental
acquis in respect of Directives.
Compare criteria for safety disposal of mining waste and for assessment and
remediation of contaminated areas in candidate countries with
regulations adopted by EU Member States and with the existing EU
legislative framework in the area of waste;
DG Environment is currently taking the initiative for the preparation of a proposal of a EU
regulatory framework on mining waste, either as a separate piece of EU legislation or as an
annex to existing Directives. Given the widespread nature of toxic mining waste in Pre-Accession
countries, DG Environment attaches a particular importance to prioritisation in this area, in order to
guide the applicant countries during their environmental approximation process.
Contribute to the assessment of the consequences of mining
accidents (e.g. Baia Mare) in a perspective of ecosystem protection, by
comparing local approaches and measures for impact evaluation with
similar activities at the site of the Aznalcollar accident in Spain where
the JRC is also involved.
The main objectives are :
•to create Inventory of toxic waste sites (old and existing mineral mining operations in PreAccession Countries
•Identification of the areas with
pollution hazards to the public health and ecosystems in catchment
risk of accidental releases of the toxic substances
Methodology :
•Information from existing data sources in each country (e.g. national geological surveys,
mining companies, national Institution for environment protection)
•Information derived from satellite imagery
Inventory data will be harmonised and combined with various ancillary geo-referenced and
non-spatial data to derive regional indicators on the vulnerability of soil and water
resources to toxic mining waste. These indicators will be used to highlight areas that are
most at risk from toxic waste sites and therefore assist decision makers define or target
possible remediation strategies.
satellite imagery
Main deliverable :
existing data
sources
mine related
data
spatial
ancillary data
geo-environmental maps of the PECO area, showing different levels of risk imposed on
the related catchment areas
non - spatial
DPSIR tool
Indicator Maps
Inventory
(Marc Van Liedekerke, Stefan Sommer, Gyozo Jordan, Anca Vajdea )
Environmental Impact Assessment
(Marco d’Alessandro, Erik Puura )
Regulations
(Marco d’Alessandro, Tamas Hamor )
The main objective of this work package is to establish the links between the physico-chemical character
of different mining wastes and their environmental impacts using modelling concepts and tools.
The methodology involves an analyse of 6 case studies of different operating mines in PECO to screen
and visualise the main pollutant pathways followed by an assessment of environmental risks and
consequences on catchment scale. The experiences of the on-going modelling of toxic Aznacollar mine
spill (Spain) are integrated, as well as application of the remote sensing tools. The possibility to perform insitu monitoring campaigns is a backup in the case of general lack of data in assessment endpoints.
According to the workplan,
 the final selection of the modelling sites in addition to already selected pilot sites at Banská
Štiavnica and Smolnik (Slovakia) is compiled by September 2001;
 the submodels of the conceptual model are accomplished in 3 stadiums: source
characterisation (February 2002), reactive transport (June 2002) and ecosystems response
(October 2002);
 the later stadium until April 2003 includes verification of the model indicators with site-specific
data, different scenario and uncertainty analyses, extrapolation to other sites and inclusion of
socio-economic considerations.
The main deliverables are:
 a conceptual model for mining waste sites impacts on catchment scale, verified by 6 case
studies;
 an applicable environmental impacts screening method for site-specific cases, establishing
which physical and chemical processes are relevant and how these can be followed in the field
according to the assessment indicators;
 a methodology for model application to other sites through extrapolation.
The ecosystem protection from toxic mining waste requires a comprehensive legislation,
which take full account of the vulnerability of the environment within the catchment area
downstream of mining sites. Differences exist between PECO countries thereby hindering
preventive and remedial actions, especially in the case of trans-boundary accidents.
Objectives: Comparison of existing PECO regulations and exploiting the opportunities offered by
relevant measures of Community environmental legislation. This should contribute to the
development of criteria for safe management of waste, and for environmental rehabilitation
measures at active and abandoned mines at a Pan-European scale.
Methodology:
•State-of-Art review of relevant EU legislation concerning environment, water, nature
conservation, mining.
•Collection of complete texts of relevant PECO regulations, standards and regulatory authorities’
licensing practice.
•Compilation, filling and interpreting of a questionnaire for mapping the state-of-art in PECO
countries in co-operation with national experts.
•Comparative analysis of EU and PECO regulations.
•Discussion of the achievements through a workshop of national experts.
Deliverables:
•Catalogue and inventory of the regulations/practices on mining waste management in PECO
countries.
•Publication of workshop volume with questionnaire data set.
•Report of recommendations to the target countries.
•Contribution to the EU mining waste directive and associated BREF.