Mine Water and the Environment (2005) 24: Supplementary Material © Springer Verlag 2005 Contemporary Reviews of Mine Water Studies in Europe Christian Wolkersdorfer1 and Rob Bowell2 (editors) 1Technische Universität Bergakademie Freiberg, Lehrstuhl für Hydrogeologie, Gustav-Zeuner-Str. 12, 09596 Freiberg/Sachsen, Germany; 2SRK Consulting, Windsor Court, 1 Windsor Place, Cardiff CF10 3BX, Wales; corresponding author’s e-mail: [email protected] Abstract. Europe was once the most important mining region in the world and nearly every European country has remnants of historic and even pre-historic mining sites. Though the importance of mining activities in most European countries declines, the abandoned sites are still there and can cause environmental dangers as well as technological challenges. On the basis of selected European countries and case studies, these dangers and challenges are described and potential solutions are illustrated. Key words: Abandoned mine; Austria; Estonia; Europe; Hungary; Italy; mine water; Netherlands; Slovakia; United Kingdom; Ireland; Belgium; Czech Republic; Portugal; Switzerland; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Norway; Finland; Sweden; Germany; Poland; France; Serbia and Montenegro; Macedonia; active treatment; passive treatment; mine water microbiology; PADRE (Partnership for Acid Drainage Remediation in Europe); policy Introduction occurred. By the middle of the nineteenth century the mature ore fields of Europe started to be abandoned in Europe has a long tradition of mining activity, dating preference to the rich untapped wealth of the “New back as far as records of human settlement of Europe World”. with the development of flint mines in France over 10,000 years ago. By the Bronze Age, copper, silver This trend has continued with minor resurgence during and gold were being mined by the Phoenicians in the twentieth century. At the start of the third millenni- Spain. During the same time gold placers were worked um, some mining has survived in Europe although the in the Black Sea area and probably formed the basis of majority of orefields are now abandoned and the the legend of the golden fleece for Jason and the emphasis is now on control of environmental impact Argonauts. and remediation of the historic legacy of Europe’s min- ing heritage. The first gold coins were produced in the area of Bulgaria-Greece-Turkey around 700 BC and from We hope that the reviews will stimulate further around 560 BC the earliest records of metal refining research on the complex and multifaceted issues asso- are preserved. The Roman empire expanded through- ciated with mine waters in Europe and result in further out Europe with a great thirst for metals and the collaboration from within and outside Europe amongst Romans advanced techniques of underground mining, Mine Water and the Environment readers. processing and even dewatering. In AD 79 Pliny the Elder produced the oldest preserved accounts of mine Acknowledgements dewatering based on his experiences in the metal mines of southern Italy (Temple 1972). We thank the contributors and reviewers for the time taken in assisting with publication of these articles and The birthplace of modern mining or at least the record- Dr Bob Kleinmann for his oversite in editing and ing of modern mining occurred during the 16th centu- preparing this issue for publication. ry in the Erzgebirge (Ore Mountains) area of Germany and the Eastern Alps. Georg Bauer, or as you preferred to be known by his Latin name Georgius Agricola, a This updated electronic supplementary material with the local physician recorded methods of mining including digital object identifier DOI:10.1007/s10230-005-0081-3 dewatering and the environmental impacts associated has already been published in printed form within the fol- with mining and mineral dressing in his classic thesis, lowing issues of Mine Water and the Environment: De Re Metallica (Agricola 1556). 23 (4): 163–183, 24 (1): 2–37, and 24(2): 58–76 During the following three centuries mining in Europe was set to reach its pinnacle and formed the basis for All figures and tables have been renumbered and the order scientific and engineering development that would of the countries has been changed starting in the north, end- http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10230-005-0081-3 spread throughout the world as European colonization ing in the south of Europa. 2 Contents European Union Policies and Mine Water Mine Water Issues in Slovakia . 34 Management . 3 Austria . 37 Acid Rock Drainage from Norwegian Mines . 4 Hungary . 39 Finland – Mine Water Quality in some Abandoned and Active Finnish Metal Sulphide Mines . 7 Switzerland . 41 Sweden . 10 Italy – Some Examples of Mine Water Problems in Tuscany . 43 Mine Water Issues in the United Kingdom . 13 Serbia and Montenegro . 45 Estonia . 14 Bosnia and Herzegovina . 47 Ireland – How Green is The Emerald Isle? Consequences of Mining on Receiving Waters . 17 Portugal . 50 Germany . 19 Macedonia . 53 Poland . 21 Active Treatment of Mine Water: A European Perspective . 55 The Netherlands – Rising Mine Water in the Former Dutch Coal Mines . 24 An Overview of Passive Mine Water Treatment in Europe . 58 Belgium – Mining and Non-Ferrous Metal Processing Activities: Environmental Impact Mine Water Microbiology . 60 and Remediation Measures . 26 PADRE – Partnership for Acid Drainage France . 28 Remediation in Europe . 64 Mine Water Issues in the Czech Republic . 31 References . 65 3 European Union Policies and Mine ular, the Baia Mare Task Force recommended three key Water Management actions discussed in more detail below: amendment of the Seveso II Directive, a document on Best Available Jaime M. Amezaga1 and Adeline Kroll2 Techniques (BAT) similar to those produced under the IPPC Directive, and an initiative on the management of 1School of Civil Eng and Geosciences, Univ of Newcastle- mining waste. Conspicuously, the Task Force with its upon-Tyne NE1 7RU, UK; 2IPTS, Joint Research Centre, narrow focus on tailings dam safety failed to identify European Commission, Isla de la Cartuja, Edificio Expo- the need for a water-related initiative (Kroll et al. WTC, C/Inca Garcilaso, s/n, E-41092 Sevilla, Spain; corre- 2001). In another independent policy initiative, mine sponding author’s e-mail: [email protected] water management will also be affected by the new Environmental Liability Directive adopted in March Mining in European Environmental Policy 2004, with national implementation three years later. This Directive will make mining operators liable for Mining is one of the oldest industrial sectors in Europe. the clean up of contaminated sites. European mining policies have been shaped by the his- torical importance of mining for industrial develop- Seveso II Directive ment and the relatively recent introduction of environ- mental concerns in public policy. As a result, the The Seveso II Directive (96/82/EC) has two aims: the emphasis of mining policies has been on the industrial prevention of major accident hazards involving dan- (including safety and health) and economic aspects. gerous substances and limiting the consequences of Within the European Commission, mining interests such accidents not only for man but also for the envi- reside in two Directorates: DG Transport and Energy, ronment. The scope of the Directive is related to the which deals with the energy extractive industry, and presence of dangerous substances in establishments. DG Enterprise, which deals with the non-energy However, article 4 (e) excluded the activities of the extractive industry. extractive industries. Following the recommendations of the Baia Mare Task Force, the EC [COM (2001) Mining had been specifically excluded from much of 624f] proposed to amend the Directive to include the environmental policy developed by DG chemical and thermal processing of minerals and relat- Environment. Recent reviews of relevant legislation ed storage operations and tailings disposal facilities if show how the mining industry has been favourably they involve dangerous substances regulated by the treated compared to other industrial sectors (Hámor Directive. The European Parliament introduced new 2002). Mining was excluded from the Integrated amendments calling for an extension of the scope to all Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC) Directive mining activities. Under the final agreement, the (96/61/EC) and the Seveso II Directive (96/82/EC). It Directive covers chemical and thermal processing was included, but with greater freedom of interpreta- operations and storage related to those operations plus tion, in the Environmental Impact Assessment operational tailings disposal facilities containing dan- Directive (97/11/EC). Whether or not it should be gerous substances, when used in connection with both included in waste legislation has been a contentious chemical/thermal and mechanical/physical processing issue due to the clause of the Waste Framework of minerals. The Directive 2003/105/EC of 16 Directive (75/442/EEC) stating that mining waste December 2003, amending Directive 96/82/EC, pub- would be excluded where it is already covered by other lished in the Official Journal on 31 December 2003 legislation, interpreted by the European Commission requires that Member States bring into force the laws, (EC) as referring exclusively to European legislation regulations, and administrative provisions necessary to (see later the AvestaPolarit ruling). Water legislation comply with this Directive before 1 July 2005. has much less direct references to mining than waste. The Water Framework Directive (WFD) (2000/60/EC) BAT for Management of Tailings and Waste-Rock applies to mining activities in a generic sense but there is no specific water legislation addressing the specific The IPPC Bureau established a Technical Working requirements of this sector. Group (TWG) in June 2001 to develop a technical doc- ument that would contribute to the knowledge avail- In the aftermath of the Aznalcóllar (April 1998) and able to prevent accidents from tailings and waste-rock Baia Mare (January 2000) accidents, the EC created disposal facilities and provide technical support for the Baia Mare Task Force (March 2000) to propose a legislative activities of the EC (e.g.