Chapter 2 Environmental and Social Baseline
●● Leakages of oily substances and other chemicals, in particular at the former gasification and fertilizer plant sites; ●● Past dumping of chemicals in former underground mines; ●● Past and current waste dumping at the ash dumps, in particular at the Kosovo A ash dump and in the old mine (municipal waste landfill); and ●● Past and current discharge of untreated wastewater effluents in rivers that is a likely source of sediment contamination in the Sitnica River. Compared to air quality standards, the situation recorded at the monitoring stations does not appear critical. Nevertheless, not all relevant parameters are recorded and the reliability of the recorded values is uncertain. Other air quality measurements, reported from other sources, indicate that the situation is even. However, not enough information is available about the reliability and details of these measurements.
A “Site Investigation, Technical and Organisational Planning and Determination of Environmental Impact” was initiated in July 2007 as part of the Clean up and Land Reclamation Project (CLRP), which is intended to identify the extent of contamination and improve the environment around and in the KEK mines and power plants, by reducing particulate emissions from the existing Kosovo A ash dump.
The KEK Environmental Report also contains information on particulate deposition rates from two locations in 2006: the first close to the separation facility and the second at Bardh mine. See Table 6.
The investigation found hot spots with a high level of phenolic residuals, phenolic waters and tars in the Kosovo A ash dump although the dump was not used on a regular basis for dumping of these materials. Two basins on top of the mid-part of the Kosovo A ash dump and some drill holes beside one of these basins have been identified as dumping areas. The total amount of these residuals is very limited and they supposedly seem to be acceptably contained. The ash stored at the ash dump contains elevated levels of heavy metals, but due to the chemical composition of the ash the potential for leaching processes is limited. Elevated levels for some heavy metals were also found at the overburden dumps but these were similar to those found naturally in the area. In the area around the nearby Dragodan overburden dump as well as at the ash dump close to Kosova A, many illegal garbage dumpsites were found containing municipal waste, building waste, other wastes from power plants, old rubber belts, metal scrap, etc.
At the separation facility, the deposition rate consistently exceeds the limit of 300 mg/m2d set by former Yugoslavia and WHO legislation. At Bardh mine, the situation is slightly better but still critical: values exceeded the limits for three months in 2006, even if the average annual value remains below the limit.
Soil and Groundwater Degraded Land, Sources of Soil and Groundwater Contamination. In mining activities, as a result of removal of top soil and other layers covering the lignite deposits, large areas of land are covered with these materials (“overburden”) and have degraded. The materials have been distributed in several areas, in the form of heaps, which are often called “overburden dumps.” The main potential sources of soil and groundwater contamination identified include: ●● Wet or dry deposition of air pollutants from the power plants, particulate from mining activity and from the ash dumps; previously there was also pollutant deposition from the gasification and fertilizer plants;
The geochemical analysis included analysis of soil samples taken at different depths (from 0.50 to 80 meter) in 11 new boreholes for the detection of pH, calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium and metals. Referring to Italian regulations on threshold values for soil quality, the analysis found several exceedances for some metals, especially Hg and Cr, and limited exceedances for Ni and Cd. To the west of the ash dump, some 200 meters from the village of Dardhishte, a former ventilation shaft has
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