International Conference on Outbursts of Water from Abandoned Mines: Causes, Consequences, Remediation and Responsibility, Litija 2010

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English: The old historical centre of the Litija town is endangered by the possibility of outburst of mine waters from adits of abandoned Sitarjevec mine 70 meters above the town in the quantity of more than 6000 cubic meters. Acid mine water accumulated in last decades due to gradual limitation of acid mine water drainage. Such accidents happened in the history of the mine and town already in the years 1895 and 1932.

Organizers of the conference believe that there could be similar conditions at some other abandoned mines in Slovenia. Unfortunately there is no cadastre or inventory of abandoned mines and/or assessment of their conditions, and endangerment of their possible influence range. With the presentation of scientific research results for abandoned mines Sitarjevec and Knapovže, and with the comparison of up-to-date research of this type of problematic in other EU states we plan to define and emphasize processes which lead to the retention, accumulation and flooding of mine waters within abandoned mines, and causes for transport of toxic elements in the solution and within the sediments of outflow.

Invited lecturers also gave an insight into legislation of other European states, which have the same problems, and the mode of their competence and responsibility definition for state authorities and the formal way of financing of such monitoring and eventual interventions into abandoned mines in their states.

Slovensko: Staro zgodovinsko jedro mesta Litija ogroža možnost izbruha rudniške vode iz rovov na več obzorjih opuščenega rudnika Sitarjevec, ki imajo vhode 70 metrov nad mestom, v skupni količini več kot 6000 kubičnih metrov. V zadnjih desetletjih so se kisle rudniške vode akumulirale zaradi postopno napredujočega omejevanja odvodnjavanja. Do dveh takih nesreč je v zgodovini rudnika in mesta prišlo že leta 1895 in 1932.

Organizatorji konference verjamemo, da so podobne razmere še pri kakšnem od opuščenih rudnikov v Sloveniji. Žal pri nas nimamo katastra ali inventarja opuščenih rudnikov in ocen stanja ter ogroženosti njihovega možnega vplivnega območja okolice. V naši državi z znanstvenimi in strokovnimi argumenti v šestih letih žal še nismo uspeli prepričati organov v takojšnjo nujnost konkretnega urgentnega in dolgoročnega formalnega sistemskega reševanje te problematike. Rudniki so namreč s prenehanjem pridobivanja in izbrisem pravice za pridobivanje uradno sicer zaprti, kljub temu, da so pogosto še vedno nevarni vir toksičnih prvin, ki jih iz njih v okolje prenašajo kisle vode in sočasno z vodo iznašani drobnozrnati sediment. Slovenska zakonodaja žal ne določa pristojnosti in s tem odgovornosti za tovrstne že poznane in za potencialne vzroke oz. vire nevarnosti in/ali onesnaženj. V naši državi stari rudniki torej niso več v pristojnosti in odgovornosti Rudarskega zakona (Ministrstvo za gospodarstvo), niti jih ne pokriva ustrezno Zakon o varstvu narave (Ministrstvo za okolje in prostor).

Vabljeni predavatelji so podali vpogled v zakonodajo drugih evropskih držav, ki imajo tovrstne probleme, ter način definiranja pristojnosti in odgovornosti ustreznih državnih organov ter način državnega financiranja monitoringa in morebitnih posegov v opuščene rudnike v njihovih državah.

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