There are over a hundred protected species of plants, animals and fungi in the concession area of the Brskovo mine. It is planned to cut down 217 hectares of forest. If the operation of the mine is approved, it will be a genocide against nature, biologist Snežana Dragićević, Ph.D., said yesterday at the session of the interdepartmental working group for the preparation of an expert analysis of the concession contract.
She attended the session as a representative of the non-governmental sector and is a doctor of biological sciences by profession. This working group was formed at the end of January by the Minister of Energy and Mining, Saša Mujović, and its task is to make recommendations to the Government by the end of February regarding this concession for geological research and ore exploitation, which was awarded in 2010 to the company "Brskovo Mine", behind which the offshore company "Tara resources" is located.
So far, six annexes to the basic contract have been concluded between the state and the concessionaire, which extended the deadlines. Should the Government, on the recommendation of the working group, terminate the contract, representatives of the concessionaires have announced an arbitration procedure for damages.
Dragićević said that someone in the Detailed Spatial Plan (DPP) of Brskovo, which was at the public hearing last year, omitted the data that the ore contains a high percentage of mercury, as a very toxic substance, even though it was stated in the geological research.
"If someone hadn't left it out, we wouldn't have anything to discuss here now, because the existence of the mine would not be possible according to Montenegrin regulations," said Dragićević.
President of the Working Group and secretary in the Ministry of Energy and Mining, Vesna Brajović, said that for the record it should be stated that the DPP for Brskovo was prepared by the Ministry of Ecology and Spatial Planning in the previous government.
Member of the Working Group and director of the Environmental Protection Agency, Milan Gazdic, said that there are no warehouses of hazardous waste containing mercury in Montenegro, and that it is not possible to export it either. Because of this, as he said, it is not possible to approve the operation of the mercury mine.
Dragićević also said that the documents were stolen, as well as that the DPP lists ridiculous measures that should supposedly rehabilitate the miners after exploitation.
She said that in that document it is written that before the exploitation, "they will carefully remove the layer of land so that it can be used later".
"How is it possible for someone to remove the surface layer of land on 200 hectares, store it somewhere and return it later. I have never heard of such a thing before," said Dragićević.
Representatives of concessionaires Luka Popović and Zoran Arsenijević said that they prepared a feasibility study that was submitted to the Government and received approval.
Dragićević stated that this was the consent of the former Government which was illegally issued, and that, among other things, criminal charges were filed against the former Minister of Capital Affairs, Ervin Ibrahimović, and the State Secretary in that ministry, Admir Šahmanović.
Arsenijević said that they, as concessionaires, stated in their report on geological research the existence of mercury in the ore at 31 ppm (31 grams per ton), which was also sent to public authorities, and that they cannot be responsible if that part was omitted from DPP.
He stated that mercury is an ingredient of ore and that it will be exported as ore, on which there is no limit, as well as that there are mines in Europe with a higher percentage of mercury, so they work in compliance with all environmental protection standards.
For the next session, it was suggested that the Ministry of Finance's analysis of the potential damage to the state would be, if a decision was made to terminate the concession.
Necessary rehabilitation of the river Rudnica
The representative of the Geological Institute, Darko Božović, said that there is always mercury in these ores and that there is no absolute ban on its export.
He also said that the river Rudnica in Brskov, because it passes through such Vuklan sediment, naturally has these metals in its content, and that their content has increased due to the operation of the previous mine.
"Its rehabilitation will be necessary regardless of whether a new mine will be built or not," said Božović.
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