City in panic over lead poisoning

A new silver, lead and barite mine brought hope to the small town of Vareš, in the mountainous part of central Bosnia and Herzegovina, when it opened in 2024. After decades of economic decline, new roads and houses were built, cafes and restaurants filled up, and a long-shrinking population swelled with the arrival of workers and new residents.

However, in recent months, blood tests have shown lead exposure in more than 300 residents living near the mine, some at elevated levels, which has alarmed local residents and called into question the future of the town, Reuters writes.

On Wednesday, four Bosnian environmental organizations filed criminal charges against Canadian mining company Dundee Precious Metals (DPM.TO), which took over the mine in September when it bought out the previous owner, British company Adriatic Metals, with the Zenica-Doboj Canton Prosecutor's Office.

“We believe the situation is ripe for declaring a state of emergency,” Miroslav Pejčinović, president of the environmental group “Opstanak,” one of the groups, told Reuters. “Someone has to take responsibility.” DPM, which is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange, denies responsibility but acknowledges the problem.

The company agreed in December to fund blood tests. Residents said they requested the tests because the mine’s previous owner had offered to conduct them, not because there were any signs of health damage. However, the results showed that 17 of the 44 people living near the mine’s processing plant and waste disposal site had elevated levels of lead in their blood.

Subsequent rounds of testing, conducted by health institutes in Zenica and Sarajevo, showed that more than 300 people, including some living further away from the mine in Vareš, also had lead in their blood.

Elevated levels of lead can damage the nervous system and brain and cause learning disabilities in children. Residents and organizations say there are no signs of harmful effects from lead exposure, but doctors warn that any level can be dangerous.

The Vareš Health Center stated in a report in March that the test results did not show signs of acute lead poisoning, but rather indicated long-term exposure to various possible low-intensity environmental factors.

According to the report, out of 238 blood tests conducted by the Institute for Health and Food Safety in Zenica, 23 percent were above the dangerous threshold of 2,8 micrograms per deciliter of blood, and 13 percent were above five micrograms per deciliter.

Local officials said such extensive testing had never been conducted before, making it impossible to determine whether the lead came from the new mine or was the result of decades of previous mining activity in the metal-rich area.

Further water and soil testing

DPM joined a task force formed by city officials and doctors after initial testing results in December. The group has launched tests of soil, water, agricultural products and dust in areas around processing plants and landfills.

The company said in a statement to Reuters that it takes health and environmental issues seriously and is cooperating with authorities.

"We believe that issues related to the environment and public health should be assessed based on expert analysis, verified data and through appropriate institutional procedures, without prejudging liability before the relevant processes are completed," the company said.

Criminal charges were also filed Wednesday against cantonal and regional ministers, who environmental groups accuse of not doing enough to protect residents. The charges will now be reviewed. If upheld, the case will likely end up in court.

The government of the Federation of BiH, the entity in which Vareš is located, has announced that it is trying to find a solution and has announced the formation of an expert group.

“We must monitor the situation and take appropriate measures if it worsens,” Federation Prime Minister Nermin Nikšić said on Monday. “People’s health must not be endangered because of someone’s negligence, someone’s investment or someone’s interest.”

"Life is not easy with lead"

The Ahmedović family, who live near the mine processing plant, have remained loyal to Vareš despite the city's economic ups and downs, investing in livestock and crops as others moved away.

Now they too could be moving out after family members, including two children, tested positive for lead. The metal was also detected in their farmland, forcing them to stop planting wheat, vegetables and fruit.

“I’m not even sure if there’s lead in this hay,” mother Enisa Ahmedović said recently as she fed cows on her farm. “Life with lead is not easy.”

For now, residents are looking for answers.

“We don’t know who is to blame,” said Emina Veljović, an environmental law expert at the Aarhus Center in Bosnia, adding that authorities must determine “who is poisoning children, who is poisoning our citizens.”