WELCOME • NO.4/1999 DANUBE WATCH Editorial CONTENTS This issue of the Danube Watch concentrates on two demonstration CLEAN TECHNOLOGIES projects of the Strategic Action 3 Industrial Pollution should be dammed Plan Implementation Programme for the Danube Basin that were funded by the EC-Phare Multi- beneficiary Programme for the DRAVA-MURA Environment. These demonstration 5 The European River Lifeline needs Protection projects relate to improved environmental practices and clean technologies in Industry on one hand and on wetland restoration SMALL SCALE WETLANDS and 8 Saving Natural Paradises in Europe improved wetland management in some of the very valuable remaining wetlands in the Danube Basin on the other hand. SMALL SCALE WETLANDS What may even be of more interest is that this issue of the Danube 9 Examples for Restoration Projects Watch introduces two new initiatives. On is a special “corner” for children and one is the initiative “Artists for the Danube“. WETLAND The children of today are the 10 Wetland Management goes beyond Borders decision-makers of the future. If today children are well educated TEUN BOTTERWEG, about the importance of the TEAM LEADER, environment and nature then there EVENT DANUBE PROGRAMME is a good chance that they will 12 Artist for the Danube COORDINATION UNIT, apply that knowledge in their E-MAIL: future decision-making. For this TEUN.BOTTERWEG@ reason at the Danube PCU we were UNVIENNA.ORG thinking about producing a special TEENS CORNER children’s page. In this edition of 15 Aquarius, the Water Teen from the Danube the Danube Watch the result is launched! We do hope that children will be as exited about this idea as we are, and that teachers of schools will use this page in their environmental educational work and in English language lessons. For this reason we would like to ask the THIS ISSUE IS SUPPORTED BY PHARE. readers to give their Danube Watch to a child or to a teacher, or to Imprint: Owner: Danube Programme Coordination Unit, Vienna International Center, A-1400 Vienna, make copies of the children’s page Publisher: Bohmann Druck und Verlag Gesellschaft m.b.H. & Co. KG, A-1110 Wien, to be distributed to children and Leberstrasse 122, Tel. +43/1/740 95-0, Telex: 132312, Fax +43/1/740 95-110, DVR: 0408689. schools. Managing Director: Rudolf Bohmann, Heinz Keller. Publishing Management: Gabriele S. Ambros (E-Mail: [email protected]). Another new idea is the initiative Editor-in-Chief: Renate Haiden, Tel. +43/1/740 95/476 (E-Mail: [email protected]), “Artists for the Danube”. The net Assistant Editor: Alexander Tempelmayr, Doris Feik, Austria income of this initiative is to be Translation: Suzanne Krenn-Papasia, Irene Plank made available to nature Layout and electronic Production: Wilfried Schmied, Josef Strebinger Print: Ueberreuter Print und Digimedia GmbH, A-2100 Korneuburg, Austria conservation projects in the Coverphotos: Schneider-Jacoby/Euronatur (2); Begsteiger (1) floodplains of the Danube Basin. Statement on the fundamental orientation under § 25 Mediengesetz of June, 12 1981: At this place I would like to wish The Danube Watch is intended to be an instrument to support the flow of information on the Danube environment in general and on the EPDRB and the Danube River Protection both creative initiatives all the best Convention activities in particular. in their development and I hope Any views expressed in Danube Watch do not necessarily represent those of the members of the Programme Management Task Force or the staff of the Programme Coordination Unit. 2 CLEAN TECHNOLOGIES Clean Technologies for a Clean Danube PHOTO: PHOTODISC® Industrial pollution of the Danube River in Romania, Bulgaria and Slovakia has induced mobilisation to evaluate the status of the river in these countries he objectives of the Phare- pulping at Letea. Furthermore project „Clean Technologies creditworthiness of the firm after Tand Industrial Waste implementation of this project is Management” are to evaluate an important aspect. technologies and strategies and The second step is based on the select methods for further outcome of the study. The (new) reducing pollution of the Danube owners of Letea may initiate River from industry in three discussions with Phare and the national (sub)-projects: Romania, Romanian Investment Fund to Bulgaria and Slovakia. finance the preparation and The project was implemented implementation of the process Pollution of the Danube River derived from in seven stages and consists of integrated measures and industry has to be reduced three components: completion of the waste paper G Viscose and polyester pulp line. the most cost-effective scenario. production plant Slovensky Then an upgrading of the Both the municipality and the hodváb in Senica, Slovak primary and secondary wastewater local industry (including Sevko) Republic; treatment steps as well as the will profit from a combined G Paper and pulp mill Letea, sludge handling may proceed in treatment as compared to separate Bacau, Romania and steps three and four. Based on the treatment. The set-up of a private G Combined waste water results of the upgrading of the shareholder company offers a treatment plant for industrial current treatment plant, the variety of chances to get the and household wastewater in necessity for the implementation necessary financial fundings for Sevlievo, Bulgaria. of a tertiary step has to be the project. confirmed through adequate The paper and pulp monitoring of the effluent. The production plant mill in Letea Step five will have to focus on Slovensky hodváb the continuity of sound operation The main environmental and management of the Main problem parameters in problems of Letea (Bacau, environmental investments as the viscose and polyester Romania) relate to a too high implemented in the previous production plant are sulfate, zinc, water use, liquid effluents and SO2 phases. BOD, COD and TSS (Total emission into the air. Several Suspended Solid). A key issue is scenarios for future production Wastewater treatment the reduction of the volume of the capacities have been investigated in Sevlievo wastewater quantity, which is and it turned out that the most discharged to the Waste Water cost-effective and realistic remedy- The feasibility study anticipates Treatment Plant (WWTP), because scenario would be a combination process-integrated measures to the present Biological Waste Water of process integrated measures and reduce especially chromium and Treatment Plant (BioWWTP) of end-of-pipe measures. nitrogen loads from the Sevko Slovensky hodváb is overloaded. In order to achieve these goals a tannery. Nine alternatives have The Board of Slovensky hodváb five-step programme has been been identified and assessed in the decided to implement process worked out. The first step is the study. From the technical, integrated measures which should preparation of a feasibility study financial and economic result in a lower loading of its own for the completion of the waste assessment it finally turned out BioWWTP and ChemWWTP in paper pulping line. The study that combined treatment of terms of hydraulic loading as well should confirm the feasibility for household wastewater and pre- as reduction of the pollutant waste paper collection and treated wastewater from Sevko is loading. ∆ DANUBE WATCH • 4/1999 3 CLEAN TECHNOLOGIES case there is no room for re- over the year. negotiation, then the enlargement The reduction of drinking water of the glaubersalt production use of 0.33 million m3/a to 0.13 capacity should be considered. million m3/a has been The performance of the implemented with a combination BioWWTP has been improved of measures: some investments PHOTO: BUENOS DIAS may be required as well as a A market study to increase the change of working methods by the selling or disposal of glaubersalt is staff involved. Implementation of to be implemented. As agreed and this measure will reduce the total laid down in a Memorandum of effluent volume further down to Understanding this is the task of 1.3 million m3/a. Slovensky hodváb. Furthermore a After implementation of the reduction of primary water use by above defined measures the re-using the second wash water for hydraulic load of the BioWWTP the first wash and distillation is to will have been reduced to one The aim of Based on the results of the be achieved. This would save third of its former hydraulic load. 3 the Phare study, it was agreed to continue about 400 m /day which is about It is recommended to await the Project is to with a reduction of water use and 12.5 % of the water use in the results of these changes on the evaluate zinc and sulphate emission of the viscose plant. The investment performance of the BioWWTP technologies viscose plant as well as a reduction costs are relatively low (< 1 million before taking further measures on and of water use in the polyester plant. Sk) and operational costs are the treatment plant itself. The strategies The viscose plant will implement minor. Finally better same holds for the ChemWWTP. for reducing the following options on short housekeeping measures with the The activities implemented so industrial term: Firstly, dumping of spin aim of limiting the quantity of far, fit well within the process of pollution in bath into the sewer should be water involved in cleaning and qualification for ISO 14001. The three avoided by producing and selling maintenance operations are to be company also committed itself to Danube more glaubersalt. In this way a introduced. implement a market study with River sulfate emission reduction from For the polyester plant cooling the aim of increasing the selling of Countries the present (1998) 3,700 ton/a to towers with heat exchanger glaubersalt. No new investments 3,000 ton/a is feasible. This system between the cooling towers would be required to increase the amount of 3,000 ton/a is still and the injectors haven been production of glaubersalt.