Studies to support the development of new generation capacities and related transmission Task 4 - Site selection Volume 1 –Main report
November, 2007 Page 4 (104)
Table 2 is an attempt to quantify these findings. The sites have been given points for the different environmental and social impacts and for some aspects of more technical character potentially affecting site selection. The smaller the point given is, the better the site in question is in this respect. Thus the site with the overall smallest cumulative amount of points is the most suitable site as a whole based on this Site selection study. The findings of the assessment of the current situation regarding health of the population may be interpreted as indications of long term effects of environmental burdens which are specific for the two municipalities Kastriot and Fushe Kosove. Such environmental burdens may be the immission and depositions of PM10 and heavy metals as Ni, As, Cd originating from near ground fly ash sources and exceeding the limit values multifold. Some annotations have to be given for readers who will not study the details of this report. •
Air pollution will, despite the fact that this aspect has been identified as a crucial burden for the environment and people in the project area, not be a relevant aspect for site selection. The current situation is a legacy from the past caused by outdated facilities, mismanagement and disregard of people and the environment. In the future, when this legacy hopefully will have been cleaned up, the new TPP Kosovo C will be in operation and the old TPP Kosovo A will be decommissioned, all airborne pollutants will be far below the health-based limit values.
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Sitnica River is the only receiving river of water from the TPP along a river stretch of about 10 km, so this item will be not relevant for site selection. With respect to water quality and surface water only conditions at the sites have been taken into account for site evaluation. The contamination of the river is extremely high with concentrations of heavy metals and suspended solids exceeding the EU and World Banks limit multifold, and a throughout modernisation of mining and energy production techniques according to EU standards is therefore required. As in dry periods the natural water flow of Sitnica River is quite poor, dominated by waste water discharges also from untreated domestic sources and upstream sources, the remaining pollution will still be severe and will require further improvements in order to comply with EU regulations.
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Even if the ongoing soil contamination by deposition of fly ash will cease, the contamination accumulated up to today will be a fact for decades as far as no mitigation measures are performed. Mitigation would be feasible (whereas costly) only for areas, where unacceptable risks for other resources and people are caused. This is the case in the vicinity of Kosovo A site as well as Kosovo B site (due to the ash piles). At all other areas concerned, the land use has to be adapted to the (indicated but not yet verified) soil pollution level in compliance with EU standards.
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As for the construction of a new TPP at all three sites, due to seismic risks, the soil has to be excavated up to a depth of 8 to 10 m for seating purposes. Therefore the presumed soil contamination at the former gasification plant site (site Kosovo A) could be eliminated with little additional effort.
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Items with cultural, historical or archaeological heritage values have not been found at a first investigation stage performed. Generally, such findings will happen by chance during excavation works, so accompanying observations by archaeologists are recommended in the construction phase of the new TPP at the sites Kosovo B and Bivolak.
European Agency for Reconstruction Pöyry-CESI-Terna-Decon