CYANIDE SPILL IN ROMANIA WREAKS
HAVOC ON THE ENVIRONMENT
AT HOME AND ABROAD
Geneva, 15 February 2000
The Aurul mining
company of Baia Mare in northern Romania accidentally spilled over 100,000 cubic metres of
cyanide-polluted water into the River Lapus at the end of January. This river is a small
tributary of the River Somes, which flows into the Tisza, one of Hungary’s largest
rivers. Several countries are now counting the cost of the devastation, as the spill
affects not only Hungary’s environment, but also that of the Danube’s other
downstream countries. Their fish stocks are being wiped out and their water supplies are
threatened.
This shows that an industrial accident can
have severe transboundary effects even if it happens at a location far from any
international border. These effects can be caused by the accidental pollution of
transboundary rivers and groundwaters.
The United Nations Economic Commission for
Europe (UN/ECE) has drawn up international environmental legislation to prevent this sort
of thing happening in the first place, such as the UN/ECE Convention on the Transboundary
Effects of Industrial Accidents, the UN/ECE Convention on the Protection and Use of
Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes and its recently adopted Protocol on
Water and Health. They also set up multilateral frameworks for cooperation within the
UN/ECE to prepare for and respond to industrial accidents. But some of the countries worst
affected by this spill did not sign up to the international conventions that could have
helped them. For instance, only one of the affected countries – Hungary – has
ratified the Convention on the Transboundary Effects of Industrial Accidents, which
contains provisions to force its Parties to notify neighbouring countries promptly of any
such accident, giving the latter more time to respond adequately. The Convention also
obliges its Parties to draw up cross-border contingency plans that immediately come into
operation following an accident with transboundary effects.
So although both these UN/ECE Conventions
are in place, more needs to be done to ensure that all UN/ECE member countries ratify and
apply them, and cooperate more closely to prevent such accidental water pollution in the
future.
The recent accident also shows that both
Conventions should not be seen in isolation. On the contrary, countries should now take
serious steps to implement their common provisions. There is much they can do. They need
to cooperate on technologies to prevent accidental transboundary water pollution, and lay
down strict safety measures and technical requirements. They also need to take part in
international early-warning and alert systems and networks of institutions responsible for
responding to transboundary water pollution. Notification procedures already exist and
countries should use them and help each other in the event of an industrial accident. They
also need to work together on methodologies for identifying hazardous activities along
transboundary waters. Finally, the sharing of safety technology and technological advances
should be made easier.
As was the case with past accidents, such
as the fire at the Swiss chemical company Sandoz in 1986, the recent accident in Baia Mare
will undoubtedly raise awareness and strengthen the commitment at all levels to develop
and introduce preventive measures. The Sandoz accident gave rise to the Rhine Action Plan
and has made all countries bordering the Rhine work together to restore its damaged
ecosystem. It is to be hoped that the same will happen this time round.
For more information about the UN/ECE Conventions, please
contact:
Rainer ENDERLEIN
UN/ECE Environment and Human Settlements Division
Palais des Nations, office 411
CH - 1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland
Phone: (+41 22) 917 23 73
Fax: (+41 22) 907 01 07
E-mail: [email protected]
or:
Sergiusz LUDWICZAK
UN/ECE Environment and Human Settlements Division
Palais des Nations, office 409
CH - 1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland
Phone: (+41 22) 917 31 74
Fax: (+41 22) 907 01 07
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: http://www.unece.org/env/welcome.html
In order to provide you with a better
service, we would appreciate it if you would send a copy of your article to: Information Unit, United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UN/ECE), Palais des
Nations, Room 356, CH - 1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland,
Tel: +(41 22) 917 44 44, Fax: +(41 22) 917
05 05,
E-mail: [email protected],
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Thank you. |