Publication Name

MINING FOR CLOSURE

are clearly identified as a key issue within this topic.

The ENVSEC initiative has also been active on this

front and this short section relates to that work.

A desk assessment of security risks posed by min-

ing, and particularly those associated with pollution

from residual mining wastes

Reducing Environment

& Security Risks fromMining in South Eastern Europe

(Peck, 2004) and the

UNEP Rapid Environmental

Assessment of the Tisza River Basin

(Burnod-Requia,

2004)

both generated during 2004, showed

clearly that there are a large number of mineral re-

source related sites that are of high hazard in the

SEE/TRB area. Further, evidence was found that

many have significant risks associated with them

that threaten the environment, public health and

safety, and/or regional socio-political stability in

the SEE/TRB countries addressed by the studies.

Moreover, it was found that mining and minerals

processing operations addressed in the study can

affect (and are affecting) the surrounding environ-

ment and communities via:

airborne transport of pollutants such as dust,

smelter emissions, gases, vapours;

mass movement of “solid” wastes (generally

tailings containing heavy metals and toxic

compounds);

mass movement of liquid, or semi-liquid

wastes (again, generally tailings containing

heavy metals and toxic compounds);

waterborne transport of wastes as suspended

solids and as dissolved materials.

Among the sites and operations examined in the

study, it was clear that the dominant pathway of ex-

posure – at all levels of interest – is via waterways

(fluvial transport) and that the dominant hazards

were posed by large tailings impoundments. While

airborne toxic emissions from smelters transport-

ed in the atmosphere have been a very significant

issue in the past, the regional and transboundary

importance of airborne emissions appear to have

generally reduced in importance.

The overriding importance of fluvial transport

mechanisms for tailings wastes in transboundary

pollution risks bears several implications with it.

To name but a few – very large volumes of mate-

rials can be involved with catastrophic damage to

downstream land, property and ecosystems associ-

ated with the physical impacts of such accidents;

biochemical, and eco-toxicological effects of these

pollutants can be catastrophic and can extend far

beyond the zone physically affected by such mate-

rials; the physical and biochemical, and eco-toxico-

logical effects can be very long term.

20. Also building upon an important earlier report from the In-

ternational Commission for the Protection of the Danube River

(ICPDR/Zinke Environment Consulting, 2000).

21. Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Kosovo (Territory under UN

interim administration), Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro.

22. Although sites such as RTB Bor in Serbia and a range of others are

still operational, a number of smelter operations have ceased opera-

tions, or are closed until such time that acceptable levels of emission

can be achieved through upgrading of plant, or have undergone sig-

nificant emissions control upgrading pursuant to foreign investment.

Unconfined concentrator waste stockpile adjacent

to urban area – Baia Mare, Romania

Photograph by Philip Peck

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