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Ajka alumina plant accident

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Ajka alumina plant accident

Spill site and affected localities[1] Location Ajka, Hungary 47.085705N Coordinates 17.494326ECoordinates: 47.085705N 17.494326E Date 4 October 2010 Cause Cause Under investigation Casualties 10 deaths, 120150 injured[2] Operator MAL Hungarian Aluminium Spill characteristics ca. 1 million m3 Volume (35 million cu. ft.) Area 40 km2 (15 sq mi)

Detail from natural-colour satellite image, showing the northwestern corner of the dam of reservoir N 10 collapsed, freeing about a 700,000 cubic metres of highly alkaline and caustic red mud (2010/10/09, picture from Digitalglobe).

Natural-colour satellite image of the area surrounding the spill. The Ajka alumina sludge spill was an industrial accident at a caustic waste reservoir chain of the Ajkai Timfldgyr alumina plant in Ajka, Veszprm County, in western Hungary.[3][4] On 4 October 2010, at 12:25 CEST (10:25 UTC),[5] the northwestern corner of the dam of reservoir no. 10 collapsed, freeing approximately one million cubic metres (35 million cubic feet) of liquid waste from red mud lakes. The mud was released as a 12 m (37 ft) wave, flooding several nearby localities, including the village of Kolontr[3][4] and the town of Devecser.[3][4][6] At least nine people died, and 122 people were injured.[5][6][7][8] About 40 square kilometres (15 sq mi) of land were initially affected. The spill reached the Danube on 7 October 2010. The ruptured and weakened wall of the reservoir that released the caustic sludge is in danger of collapsing entirely, which could release an additional 500,000 cubic metres of sludge.[9] It was not initially clear how the containment at the reservoir had been breached, although the accident came after a particularly wet summer in Hungary, as in other parts of central Europe. [7] Police have seized documents from the Ajkai Timfldgyr plant, although a spokesman for MAL Hungarian Aluminium (MAL Magyar Alumnium Termel s Kereskedelmi Zrt.), the company that operates the plant, said the last inspection of the pond had shown "nothing untoward".[7] Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbn stated that the cause of the spill was presumably human error.[10]

Contents

1 Origin of the mud 2 Effects 3 Containment and cleanup 4 Gallery 5 See also 6 References 7 External links

Origin of the mud

The red mud involved in the accident is a waste product of the Bayer process, which refines bauxite into a form of aluminium oxide called alumina. The mud primarily contains nonaluminium compounds present in the bauxite ore and left as residues after its refining along with sodium hydroxide used to dissolve aluminium oxide. Iron(III) oxide, the compound from which the red color originates, is the main component, but it also contains other compounds. [11] The mud, which is highly alkaline when it is first produced, is stored in large open-air ponds; It is thought that there is about 30 million tonnes of red mud stored around the Ajkai Timfldgyr plant.[6] According to a press release by MAL, the mud had the following chemical percentage make-up (which expresses the amounts of different elements, not necessarily the actual solids).[12] Metal oxide Fe2O3 (iron(III) oxide) Al2O3 (aluminium oxide) SiO2 (silicon dioxide) CaO (calcium oxide) TiO2 (titanium dioxide) Na2O (bound sodium oxide) Percentage Notes 4045% Gives the red colour of the mud 1015% Unextracted aluminium oxide 1015% Present as sodium- or calcium-alumino-silicate 610 % See also portlandite 45 % Impurity present in bauxite Responsible for the high (alkaline) pH and the 56 % chemical burns

Unlike many other mine tailings, red mud does not contain very high levels of heavy metals, although still about seven times the levels in normal soil.[13] Analyses of the mud at Kolontr on behalf of Greenpeace showed levels of chromium 660 mg/kg, arsenic 110 mg/kg and mercury 1.2 mg/kg.[14] The Hungarian government has stated that the mud is "not poisonous", [13] and the Hungarian Academy of Sciences stated that the heavy metal concentrations were not considered dangerous for the environment.[14] This opinion was also supported by a paper published in the journal Science in October 2010.[15] The main damages caused by the accident first arose from the high pH of the mud, which was responsible for both severe chemical burns to human and animals and killing specimens in the rivers and in the contaminated soils. However, after dissipation of acute effects by dilution and progressive carbonation of the sodium hydroxide by CO2 from the air, the chronic toxicity of heavy metal traces is expected to be limited by their low solubility and high sorption under slightly alkaline conditions.

Effects
The wave of mud flooded streets in Kolontr, where seven people were confirmed dead, and Devecser, where the flow was powerful enough to move cars and vans.[6][7] The cause of death of the Kolontr victims has not been formally confirmed; a spokesman for the National Directorate General for Disaster Management (NDGDM, Orszgos Katasztrfavdelmi Figazgatsg) said that they had probably drowned.[7] A further six people were still missing 24 hours after the accident.[6] The NDGDM said that the high-pH mud was considered hazardous and would cause an alkaline reaction on contact if not washed off with clean water.[7] The mayor of Devecser said that 8090 people had been taken to hospital with chemical burns.[7] Pter Jakabos, a doctor in

the hospital in Gyr where many of the injured had been taken, said on Magyar Televzi that it might take days for the full extent of any burns to be realised.[6] Magyar Alumnium (MAL) said that the mud was not considered to contain toxic elements according to EU standards.[7] Initial measurements by the NDGDM showed the sludge to be extremely basic, with a pH value of 13.[16] The waste extinguished all life in the Marcal river, and reached the Danube on 7 October, prompting countries located further down the river (Slovakia, Croatia, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, Ukraine) to develop emergency plans in response.[17] On 11 October, the Hungarian government announced that the managing director of MAL had been arrested, to be charged with "criminal negligence leading to a public catastrophe."[18] Also on the 11th, the government took control of MAL, appointing a commissioner to manage the company.[18] The government planned to focus on compensation for the incident, job security, and identifying further locations at risk of accidents.[18]

Containment and cleanup

Apart from the immediate effects of the wave of red mud, there was also concern for a possible contamination of Hungary's waterways. The Torna (Hungarian pronunciation: [ton]) river runs through the affected area, and emergency workers were pouring tonnes of plaster into the waterway to try to bind the sludge and prevent it from continuing downstream.[6] The Torna joins the Marcal (Hungarian pronunciation: [mtsl]) river at Karak, in Vas County; the Marcal joins the Rba river just above Gyr, in Gyr-Moson-Sopron County, while the Rba itself joins the Danube at Gyr. The day after the accident, Environmental State Secretary Zoltn Ills ordered the suspension of the alumina production at the plant and the reconstruction of the dam.[19] The following day, the chairman of the company said in a radio interview that he would like to restart production over the weekend (56 days after the Monday accident);[20] the plant reopened on 15 October, with full production expected to resume by the 19th.[21] The Hungarian government initially estimated that cleanup would take at least a year and cost tens of millions of dollars.[22] The Hungarian Government activated the EU Civil Protection Mechanism for urgent international assistance at 7:36PM on October 7.[23] The European Union Monitoring and Information Centre (MIC) communicated the request for expert assistance to the 30 participating countries (27 EU member states, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway).[23] By 12 October, a secondary dam beyond the remainder of the original had been almost entirely completed, after being built to contain additional sludge that was expected to overflow after another portion of the original dam collapsed.[24] On 13 October, the government nationalized the company, the bill making this possible having been passed by the Parliament one day earlier.[25]

Gallery

See also
Wikinews has related news: Additional damage to reservoir prompts evacuations of Kolontar, Hungary Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Ajka alumina plant accident

Crisis situations and protests in Europe since 2000 2000 Baia Mare cyanide spill 1998 Residue dam wall collapse of the Aznalcollar mine Aberfan disaster Boston Molasses Disaster Val di Stava dam collapse Kingston Fossil Plant coal fly ash slurry spill Hydrography of Hungary

References
1. 2. ^ BM Orszgos Katasztrfavdelmi Figazgatsg (Hungarian) ^ Sludge flood - Contamination abates in waterways, death toll rises to six, MTI, 8 October 2010 3. ^ a b c Hungary threatened by 'ecological catastrophe' as toxic sludge escapes factory, Telegraph (UK), 5 October 2010 4. ^ a b c Red sludge floods towns in Hungary, Associated Press, 4 October 2010

^ a b Red mud spill in Veszprm County, www.index.hu, 5 October 2010 (Hungarian) 6. ^ a b c d e f g "Hungary declares a state of emergency after sludge disaster", The Guardian, 5 October 2010. 7. ^ a b c d e f g h Deadly sludge escape kills three in western Hungary, BBC News, 5 October 2010. 8. ^ Nyolc halott: megtalltk az utols eltnt holttestt is Devecseren Hirado.hu, 2010. oktber 11. 15:34 (Hungarian) 9. ^ Hungary sludge reservoir at risk of collapse 10. ^ "Toxic Red Sludge Spill From Hungarian Aluminum Plant 'An Ecological Disaster'", David Gura, NPR, 5 October 2010 11. ^ Greenwood, Norman N.; Earnshaw, Alan (1984). Chemistry of the Elements. Oxford: Pergamon Press. p. 245. ISBN 0-08-022057-6. states, "Typical compositions for industrially used bauxites are Al2O3 4060%, combined H2O 1230%, SiO2 free and combined 115%, Fe2O3 730%, TiO2 34%, F, P2O5, V2O5, etc., 0.050.2%" 12. ^ "Announcement of MAL Hungarian Aluminium". MAL. Archived from the original on 9 October 2010. Retrieved 7 October 2010. 13. ^ a b Redsludge and detoxification, Government of Hungary, retrieved 9 October 2010. 14. ^ a b "Danube 'neutralising toxic sludge'", The Independent, 8 October 2010. 15. ^ Enserink, M. (2010). "After red mud flood, scientists try to halt wave of fear and rumors". Science 330 (6003): 432433. doi:10.1126/science.330.6003.432. ISSN 0036-8075. Archived from the original on 30 October 2010. Retrieved 2010-1024. 16. ^ "Sludge-hit Hungarian villagers demand compensation", Atlanta JournalConstitution, 6 October 2010. 17. ^ "Hungarian chemical sludge spill reaches Danube", BBC, 7 October 2010. 18. ^ a b c "Hungary Arrests Official, Citing Role in Red Sludge". The New York Times. 11 October 2010. Retrieved 13 October 2010. 19. ^ State Secretary Suspends Production, MTI, 5 October 2010 (Hungarian) 20. ^ "Hungary firm wants to restart production after spill". Reuters. 6 October 2010. 21. ^ "Hungary toxic spill plant reopens as villagers return". BBC News Online. 15 October 2010. Archived from the original on 16 October 2010. Retrieved 16 October 2010. 22. ^ "Eyewitness: Hungary's toxic spill". BBC. 6 October 2010. 23. ^ a b Hungary activates the EU Civil Protection Mechanism and requests technical expertise to combat mud pollution on the Webpage of EU-Commissioner Kristalina Georgieva 24. ^ "Hungary emergency toxic sludge dam 'almost completed'". BBC News Online. 12 October 2010. Archived from the original on 13 October 2010. Retrieved 13 October 2010. 25. ^ Company producing catastrophe nationalized in Hungary, actmeadia 5.

External links

Photos of the aftermath taken December 27, 2010 Ajka alumina plant accident. Photos with the damage (Russian) "Redsludge" tragedy Official Website of the Hungarian Government Official site of MAL Magyar Alumnium (Hungarian)

Google map showing the breach and the affected villages Photographs available under the Creative Common licence agreement 3.0 Aerial pictures of the dam and the damages Photos with the damage Photos taken from helicopter Aerial photographs

2000 Baia Mare cyanide spill

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The Ssar river in Baia Mare The 2000 Baia Mare cyanide spill was a leak of cyanide near Baia Mare, Romania, into the Some River by the gold mining company Aurul, a joint-venture of the Australian company Esmeralda Exploration and the Romanian government. The polluted waters eventually reached the Tisza and then the Danube, killing large numbers of fish in Hungary and Yugoslavia. The spill has been called the worst environmental disaster in Europe since the Chernobyl disaster.[1]

Contents

1 Background 2 Dam failure 3 Effects 4 Subsequent spills 5 Reactions 6 Legacy 7 See also 8 References

Background
Aurul, the mine operator, is a joint venture company formed by the Australian company Esmeralda Exploration and the Romanian government. The company claimed it had the ability to clean up a by-product of gold mining, the toxic tailings, which began to be spread as

toxic dust by the wind.[2] Promising to deal with them and to extract remaining gold from them via gold cyanidation, the company shipped its waste product to a dam near Bozinta Mare, Maramure County.[2]

Dam failure
On the night of January 30, 2000, a dam holding contaminated waters burst and 100,000 cubic metres of cyanide-contaminated water (containing an estimated 100 tonnes of cyanides[3]) spilled over some farmland and then into the Some river.[1][2] Esmeralda Exploration blamed excessive snowfall for the dam failure.[1]

Effects
After the spill, the Some had cyanide concentrations of over 700 times the permitted levels. The Some flows into the Tisza, Hungary's second largest river, which then flows into the Danube. The spill contaminated the drinking supplies of over 2.5 million Hungarians.[1] In addition to cyanide, heavy metals were also washed into the river and they have a long-lasting negative impact on the environment.[1] Wildlife was particularly affected on the Tisza: on a stretch, virtually all living things were killed, and further south, in the Serbian section, 80% of the aquatic life was killed.[1] Large quantities of fish died due to the toxicity of cyanide in the waters of the rivers, affecting 62 species of fish, of which 20 are protected species. In Hungary, volunteers participated in removing the dead fish to prevent the disaster from spreading across the food chain, as other animals, such as foxes, otters and ospreys have died after eating contaminated fish.[1] After the cyanide entered the Danube, the large volume of the river's water diluted the cyanide,[1] but in some sections it still remained as high as 20 to 50 times the allowed concentration.[4] Two years after the spill, the ecosystem began to recover, but it was still far from its initial state, as the fishermen of Hungary claim that their catches are only at a fifth of their original levels.[when?][3]

Subsequent spills
Five weeks later, a spill of contaminated waters (this time with heavy metals) hit the region.[3] A dyke burst in Baia Bor, Maramure County and 20,000 cubic metres of zinc, lead and copper-contaminated water made its way into the Tisza.[5] A year later, another cyanide spill occurred in Romania, this time being a deliberate emptying of cyanide solutions into the Siret River.[3]

Reactions

Brett Montgomery, the chairman of the mine operator, Esmeralda, denied responsibility, claiming that the damage of the spill has been "grossly exaggerated" and that the fish died in such numbers because of lack of oxygen due to the freezing of the river.[1] A spokesman for the company later claimed that media reports from Hungary and Serbia are politically motivated and the fish were killed by spills from industrial plants along the Tisza, due to the dynamite explosions used to break the ice locks on the river or simply due to the raw sewage pumped into the river.[6] The Hungarian government called the storing of cyanide next to a river madness and argued that the weather was not unprecedented.[1] A European Union report on the disaster blamed the design faults at the mine.[7] In mid-February 2000, as the spill reached the Romanian section of the Danube, the Romanian government temporarily banned fishing and the usage of Danube water for drinking.[6]

Legacy
Environmental groups like Friends of the Earth[6] and Greenpeace argue that the disaster is another reason to ban dangerous mining technologies such as gold mining using the cyanide heap-leaching technique.[6] German metal band Rammstein produced a song about the spill, called "Donaukinder" (Children of the Danube)

See also

2010 Ajka alumina plant accident Val di Stava dam collapse 1998 Residue dam wall collapse of the Aznalcollar mine

References
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Death of a river", BBC, February 15, 2000 ^ a b c "Romania's poison dump", BBC, May 19, 2000 ^ a b c d "Map: Pollution hotspots", BBC, December 13, 2004 ^ "Hungary appeals for ecological help", BBC, February 15, 2000 ^ "Hungary demands action over pollution", BBC, March 14, 2000 ^ a b c d "Firm rejects cyanide damage claims", BBC, February 16, 2000 ^ "Second cyanide spill blights Romania", BBC, January 26, 2001