#enviras

According to the Integrated Tisza River Basin Management Plan (ITRBMP), approved at ministerial level, the risk of accidental pollution from mining in the Tisza River Basin is much higher than in the Danube River Basin.
The Sajó/Slaná valley, divided by the HU-SK border, is a historical mining area. On the Hungarian side, ore mines, blast furnaces and coal mines have been in operation since the 1800s. In this period the Sajó/Slaná was one of the most polluted watercourses in Europe. Since the 1990s, mining activities have been gradually phased out and the river’s water quality has improved. However, the closure of the mines was not always carried out in a professional manner, in particular the disposal and treatment of the water leaving the mine drainage system and the recultivation of the tailings dams were not addressed. As a result, the mining disaster that caused ecological devastation in the upper part of the Sajó/Slaná River in southern Slovakia on 24 February 2022 could have occurred. For three months, untreated mine water from the former iron ore mine at Nižná Slana leaked huge amounts of toxic metals into the river. The wildlife of the River has been completely wiped out along a stretch of almost 20 km from the source of the pollution. The Slovak government has declared a state of emergency due to the environmental disaster.
The aim of the project is to map and investigate the current state of the Sajó/Slaná River and the potential pollution effects of abandoned mines in the Sajó/Slaná River catchment area. The main output of the project will be the Environmental and Risk Assessment Study. The study will summarise the results of the interdependent measurements and investigations (geophysical, groundwater/surface water monitoring, modelling and other studies) carried out under the project, examine the environmental impact of the mines and mine tailings on the Sajó/Slaná river basin and its catchment area, identify the risks and their magnitude and likelihood. It also proposes measures to address the risk elements and proposes the establishment of a monitoring network to monitor adverse changes and, if necessary, intervene to prevent further environmental disasters.
The documents will be made available to decision-makers (disaster management authorities, water management boards, etc.) and the public on the partners’ websites.