| Author (Person) | Davies, Eric |
|---|---|
| Publisher | ProQuest Information and Learning |
| Series Title | In Focus |
| Series Details | 3.6.03 |
| Publication Date | 03/06/2003 |
| Content Type | News, Overview, Topic Guide | In Focus |
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The Union's 'extractive industries' (mining and quarrying) produce more than 400 million tonnes of waste each year - equivalent to nearly 30% of the total waste generated in the EU. Without proper management, mining and quarrying waste can pose serious threats to both human and environmental health. Amongst the examples given in a European Commission proposal for a Directive on the management of such waste are the 1966 disaster at Aberfan, Wales, in which 144 people - mostly children - died when a coal tip collapsed, and the incident at Baia Mare, Romania, in 2000, when a tailings pond burst and 120 tonnes of cyanide and heavy metals in the waste water were released into the River Lapus and eventually the Danube. The Baia Mare disaster was one of those which spurred the Commission into issuing a Communication in October 2000: 'Safe operation of mining activities: a follow-up to recent mining accidents'. That document formed the basis of the draft Directive proposed by the Commission on 2 June 2003. The proposal covers waste from all sectors of the extractive industry and specifically focuses on operational issues connected with waste management, prevention of soil and water pollution, and the stability of waste management facilities (in particular tailings ponds). It aims to improve the management of such waste, by establishing minimum requirements and addressing the potential risks to human and environmental health associated with treatment and disposal. Under the proposal, waste management facilities will be authorised only if appropriate environmental and safety measures are in place, with techniques tailored to the characteristics of different wastes so as to ensure the long-term stability of storage facilities, whether in the form of heaps or ponds. The operators of mining and quarrying waste disposal facilities will also be required to incorporate closure plans into their schemes and will have to provide sufficient financial resources to ensure that waste can be managed in the event of the company going out of business (the 'polluter-pays' principle). Two other initiatives are also relevant to the management of extractive waste: an amendment of the Seveso II Directive on the control of major industrial accidents, to include mineral processing of ores and associated tailings ponds or dams; and a document on tailings and waste rock, describing the Best Available Techniques of waste management to reduce everyday pollution and to prevent or mitigate accidents in the mining sector. Environment Commissioner Margot Wallström said the proposal will "help prevent serious accidents resulting from the mismanagement of mining waste" and that it will also "minimise chronic pollution of lakes and rivers by waste facilities that are badly operated and monitored. In short, the proposed Directive will make management of waste from the extractive industries safer. We are currently embarking on a historic enlargement of the EU and must ensure that the best environmental standards are applied across Europe." Links: Eric Davies The European Commission adopted a proposal on 2 June 2003 that aims to improve the management of waste from all sectors of the extractive industry. |
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| Subject Categories | Environment |
