Ecological bomb on the outskirts of Podgorica

“There's just no luck here for the next thousand and a half years. It is so polluted. We can't drink water, we can't plant, the underground water flows have been poisoned for 45 years".

A resident of Srpska Drago Terzic this is how he pictures life next to the red mud pool and in the surroundings of the aluminum plant.

The ninth kilometer from the center of Podgorica, on the road to Zeta settlements near the former giant of Montenegrin industry, which in the socialist era accounted for up to one percent of the world's light metal production, begins with a pile of garbage and abandoned houses, not caring about the severe consequences for the environment. Such production has long been gone, but environmental damage continues.

Pools of red mud, unsolved black ecological points, can be approached without any problems, because there is no security in that area, nor a guard to warn of danger.

About seven and a half million tons of hazardous material were disposed of at two locations immediately adjacent to KAP. One pool has an impermeable bottom, while the other is unprotected, and the soil and groundwater are constantly being polluted with heavy metals and carcinogenic particles.

Terzić, an old environmental activist, and his first neighbor Boro Lazović they say that when a strong wind blows, dust starts to rise from the pool and chaos ensues. They lock themselves in their houses and wait for it to pass. They also assure that the part of Morača near KAP is completely poisoned, that there are no fish at all.

"He who says that this water from Morača and Lake Skadar is good, is working against his family and poisoning his own people, knowing that the water is poisonous. It is a premeditated murder attempt," Terzić points out.

Diana Milev Čavor from Green Home explains that red mud, as a byproduct of bauxite processing and the main material for the electrochemical production of aluminum, can cause an environmental disaster.

According to the "Pollution of Lake Skadar" research, which was carried out by Green home in 2012, the most serious source of pollution of Lake Skadar is waste water, which is created during the technical-technological processes at the Podgorica Aluminum Plant. These waters contain toxic and dangerous substances.

In the study, it is written that during several decades of KAP's work, about 325 thousand cubic meters of solid waste was created, which was deposited at the landfill and classified as hazardous, due to the content of fluoride, nickel, chromium, copper, cadmium, zinc, arsenic, mercury , cyanide...

"Significant concentrations of dangerous and harmful substances were found that penetrated into the soil and groundwater," the Study says.

The red mud dust, if it is dry, explains Milev Čavor, can be blown by the wind over long distances, onto arable land and endanger the health of the population.

"One of the measures to prevent the migration of this dust is to regularly pour water into the pool with sludge. But this enables the creation of seepage liquids and their penetration into the soil and groundwater," she says.

Others, including the Center for Ecotoxicological Testing (CETI), have been warning for years about the danger of groundwater and land pollution around KAP, the authorities are not taking adequate measures, the research showed. Center for Investigative Journalism of Montenegro (CIN-CG).

Despite the loan of 50 million euros, which was approved five years ago by the World Bank (CB), to solve, among other things, the problem of these pools and the solid waste landfill within the KAP, that project is still at the very beginning.

Gallop: I haven't heard this yet

The deadline for issuing an integrated permit (IPPC) to KAP expired on January 1, 2018. These permits are a condition in the negotiations for Montenegro's entry into the European Union. The IPPC is one of the EU's key directives in the field of environmental protection and it stipulates that operators of industrial plants must demonstrate that they systematically apply the best available techniques to prevent and control pollution.

Completely unprepared for that, instead of taking concrete steps, the authorities in Brussels are trying to beg for a new deadline - even up to 2030. In the meantime, the procedure for obtaining and issuing an integrated license has been formally terminated, with the explanation that there are unresolved property legal relations between KAP in bankruptcy and the current owner of Uniprom from Nikšić.

Montenegro cannot introduce amendments to the rules or policies of the European Union (EU), disrupt their functioning or lead to inappropriate distortion of competition, they said on this occasion for CIN-CG from Brussels, in answers forwarded through the Delegation of the European Commission in Montenegro. When asked what they think about Montenegro's request to postpone the implementation of the Directive, the European Commission estimated that "additional detailed information will be needed before the EU takes a position on it".

"The EU recalls its general negotiating position that transitional measures are exceptional, limited in time and scope, and accompanied by a plan that has clearly defined phases. Therefore, transition periods are not considered at this stage, but will be part of the accession agreement, if all member states agree, including their duration, and all on the basis of reliable plans for alignment", the European Commission's response to CIN-CG reads.

Until then, they say, they expect Montenegro to continue harmonizing and implementing acts, including that Directive.

"The European Union takes into account that Montenegro plans to adopt special implementation plans from the Directive in 2019 and underlines that this is a prerequisite for further work during the transitional periods," added Brussels' response.

The Ministry of Sustainable Development and Tourism (MORT) told CIN-CG that, after Chapter 27 was opened, they requested a transitional period for the application of the IPPC directive on industrial emissions, and that other countries in the region had similar requests in the EU accession process.

EU expert and environmental activist of the English Bankwatch Pippa Gallop assessed for CIN-CG that it is completely unacceptable to delay until 2030, that the standards are relatively strict, and that the question is how much this will be allowed in Montenegro.

"I know that Croatia asked for the postponement of the Directive for a couple of years, but this is the longest period I've heard of, I don't see a reason for it," Galop said. Regarding the World Bank loan, she says it is incredible how little is being done to solve the problem of the red mud pool, how much plans are being changed, and how much the World Bank is avoiding talking about it.

"On the other hand, the conditions for that loan to be released and used have probably not yet been met, and the bank is not in a hurry, because they don't care when it will be, but from a human and environmental point of view, it is absolutely unacceptable and we will pressure them to deal with it." with that," said Galop.

Poisoning "in scouting"

In the meantime, the Montenegrin Prosecutor's Office has begun to investigate whose fault it is that, last year in September and October, for the umpteenth time, dust rose from the red mud pool and further polluted the surrounding settlements. Confirming for CIN-CG that they responded to the report of the Environmental Inspection and the residents of Zeta, they said that a case had been opened at the Basic State Prosecutor's Office in Podgorica and that "the procedure is in the investigation phase."

The Beran company Wag-Kolektor has been the owner of the red mud pool since February 2016. Then they were sold by DOO Politropus Alternative Tivat, which previously bought the pools from KAP. The inspection asked the Beran company to install functional sprinklers for sprinkling the pool on the entire perimeter of the pool, because the entire area is not covered by the irrigation system. "To drill and activate the third well for irrigating the beaches of the pool, in order to ensure sufficient humidity of the surface of the beaches in order to prevent the emission of red dust, because the amount of water from the two existing wells is not sufficient", the inspection stated.

Siniša Jevrić, one of the founders of the company Wag-Kolektor claims in an interview for CIN-CG that he will implement all the inspection requirements by the middle of the year, that is, he plans to equip the third well by May or June.

Symbolic punishments are not a sufficient motive for investing in environmental protection. Until now, due to the non-execution of the order, in addition to the fine of 7.500 euros, the inspection initiated proceedings against the company from Beran in March last year before the Podgorica Court for Misdemeanors. In October, the court fined the company EUR 300. The owner was fined the "entire" 30 euros.

The inspection is now also investigating whether a few days ago quick soda was spilled into Morača from KAP, and it recently established that a certain amount of lye was poured into the waste water channel of that company. From this neuralgic point for the environment, there is simply no good news.

A stronger earthquake could cause a mudslide

As early as 2004, an expert in the field of toxicology and the then director of CETI stated that life in the settlements around KAP has no perspective. Ana Mišurović, assessing the quality of land in settlements near red mud pools. In her findings, it is written that the substances to which residents of settlements in the vicinity of KAP are constantly exposed can cause very serious diseases, depending on the total daily intake of certain toxicants through air, water, food...

Nine years ago, when the dam of a much larger and active pool with red mud gave way in the north of Hungary, nine people died, hundreds were injured, and a huge area was poisoned.

Mišurović assessed for CIN-CG that even today there is a possibility that the red mud from the KAP circle will be poured out of the pool in the event of a strong earthquake, or if the structure were to give way.

"There is an alkaline environment inside, it depends on the extent to which it has been drained and whether it has been drained." I think no one is doing the research on how dangerous it would be," she said.

The quality of the soil and groundwater around KAP was examined by CETI even later. Reports from 2016 and 2017, received by CIN-CG, say that there is no progress.

"According to the results of the physical and chemical analysis, the groundwater sample sampled at the location of KAP in bankruptcy does not correspond to any of the classes of the Regulation on Classification and Categorization of Surface and Groundwater due to increased turbidity, content of suspended substances, nitrite, zinc, cyanide, orthophosphate and ammonium ions", says one of CETI's reports from 2016.

Only one document from the end of December 2017 states that groundwater can be used for drinking after certain treatment. In other months, these groundwaters do not correspond to any of the classes due to increased turbidity and the presence of heavy metals.

During 2016 and 2017, CETI repeatedly analyzed the land around KAP, and in each report it was determined that it does not meet the requirements of the Rulebook on permitted amounts of hazardous and harmful substances in land due to the increased content of chromium, nickel, fluorine, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons...

And in the information on the state of the environment for 2017, prepared by the Environmental Protection Agency, it is stated, among other things, in the tests of the land in the village of Srpska, which is located next to KAP, that the content of harmful substances found related to the operation of the Combine has increased.

Doubts about frequent transactions with pools

Director of the non-governmental organization OZON Aleksandar Perovic, assesses that the silence of the institutions on the problem of pollution "which could be fatal for the population living in the vicinity of KAP" is unacceptable.

"Circumstances only get more complicated over time, in the context of ownership changes, unclear division of responsibilities within KAP itself, separation of the red mud pool from the industrial complex, which was also part of the unsuccessful privatization. The hostages are citizens and that area," Perović assessed for CIN-CG. Stressing that the elaborations and studies that were supposed to start the solution of the environmental problem with the money of the World Bank remained only a dead letter on paper, Perović points out that pools with red mud are another example of how privatization should not be carried out.

"It was not logical to separate a historical black point, such as the swimming pools, from the parent industrial complex of KAP and to give it to someone else," he said.

The company that originally privatized the pools, according to him, had a plan to process that material into building foundations, in order to export it and use it for the construction of roads and the like.

"Unfortunately, an environment was created where the investor could not obtain the necessary approvals and he gave up. Under dubious circumstances, a transaction took place so that such an object ended up in the ownership of a company from Beran that had never dealt with this business, like no other in Montenegro," he said.

Perović claims that it is an open secret, that the only interest and motive of that privatization was to resell the sludge to the state and to incorporate everyone in that process, so that it would once again be part of KAP or state property.

"That company is neither financially nor expertly capable of renovating pools and managing them," Perović is categorical.

WEG Kolektor told CIN CG, however, that they plan to start red mud processing again by the middle of this year in a consortium with a German partner.

Jevrić, for CIN-CG, denied that he intended to sell the pools to anyone, but also confirmed that the prosecution called him to give a statement regarding the raising of red dust at the end of last year.

"It's the same as when the dust is lifted from the asphalt... What I'm doing is in everyone's favor," he said, which is completely in line with the threatened fine of 30 euros.

Obligations also apply without permission

In the Government's information from 2017, it is written that KAP's technology is outdated, and that it will not be able to apply European standards in its production processes for a period of less than ten years.

MORT says that they are working on a specific implementation plan for the Directive, which has been sent for translation, after which it will be forwarded to the EC. Not having an integrated permit, as they point out, does not exempt the plant operator from the requirements established by other regulations related to environmental protection at any time. "Solving the issue of remediation at two locations related to KAP is very complex, not only due to environmental and safety and risk protection issues, but also due to the ongoing bankruptcy proceedings being conducted over KAP, the ownership of red mud pools, and all in order to satisfaction of the criteria and procedures of the World Bank...", says MORT's reply.

At some point the polluter will have to pay

In March of last year, the Environmental Inspection requested the initiation of misdemeanor proceedings against KAP in bankruptcy and bankruptcy administrator Veselin Perišić for not obtaining a permit.

The courts, however, acquitted them with final force and effect, as CIN CG learns, because the bankruptcy administrator should not be responsible for this, but the current owner of KAP - the Uniprom Veselin Pejović company from Nikšić.

Uniprom did not answer the questions of CIN CG about what they do and plan to do to protect the environment from the processes carried out in KAP and whether and when they will ask for an integrated permit.

In the Law on Integrated Prevention and Control of Environmental Pollution, it is written that the permit is issued for a certain period of time, the longest being ten years. Fines for working without the Agency's license are also prescribed, ranging from 5.000 to 15.000 euros for a legal entity and 500 to 1.000 euros for a responsible person. The possibility of banning the renewal of activities from one month to one year is also foreseen. The government recently established a new draft law on industrial emissions, which introduces the "polluter pays" principle. Somewhat higher fines of 5.000 to 40.000 euros are foreseen for a legal entity, if, among other things, it works without a permit, it does not submit to the administrative body once a year data on the results of monitoring emissions of land, air, water, sea and other segments of the environment.

(CIN of CG)