Problems
Water pollution as a result of mining activities
In the Jiu Valley, the mining activity involves the evacuation of water from the underground environment, but also the use of large quantities of water in the coal preparation processes. A few years ago, the discharge of the water used in the mining operations and the low efficiency of the purification processes used had a direct effect on the loading of the Jiu river with large quantities of organic substances, polluting substances, and mineral suspensions. Coal extraction involves the consumption of a significant amount of clean water which returns to the soil loaded with harmful substances that harm the fauna and flora, reducing the water resources for domestic, industrial, and agricultural consumption. For this reason, it is necessary to know the hydrological characteristic of each mine and ensure the cleaning of the drained water. The suspensions discharged into the Jiu River had very high gravitational stability and from a granulometric point of view, they were in the colloidal and semi-colloidal domain. For this reason, they remained suspended and gave the water a gray-brown color. Because of this, in addition to the disappearance of the fauna and flora specific to the mountain rivers, Jiu River was also removed from the tourist circuit although it runs a very beautiful gorge that links Transylvania to the south of the country.
Solutions
Environmental legislation
Author: Romanian government
With the enforcement of environmental legislation, which meant the adoption of technical and technological solutions by the National Coal Company, it was possible to observe the reduction of pollution with solid materials in the Jiu river. The involvement of the authorities led to the construction of own sewage treatment plants and the connection of the drainage pipes full with wastewater used in coal extraction and treatment to the sewage network of the Jiu Valley. This way the waters are redirected to the treatment stations where cleaning is carried out according to the rules. Currently, the problems related to the direct discharge of water coming from the underground are still encountered in some auxiliary enclosures that have not been connected to the sewage network due to its absence in mined area. The reduction of the mining activity, the investments in the technologization made by the company, and the development of human consciousness contribute to a great extent to the improvement of the quality of the water in the Jiu Valley. the wastewater discharged from the mining perimeters falls within the permitted limits by the law.
Gallery
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Timelines
2019
The measurements also extended over a period of 2019 to the beginning of 2020 and showed that the wastewater discharged from the mining perimeters falls within the permitted limits by the law
2008
The measurements of heavy metals concentration were made on the Jiu river course, in January and June 2005 which represent two seasons: winter and summer, and in January and June 2008. The most dangerous heavy metals from the Jiu River, in seven points from Jiu: Campu’ lui Neag; Lupeni (The West Jiu); Iscroni (The West Jiu); Livezeni (The East Jiu); upstream the confluence with Sadu; Balteni; Podari have been determined.
2005
In order to analyze the evolution in time of the Jiu River’s level of pollution due to economic and social activities in the Jiu Valley towns, the variation of the quality and quantity parameters of the upstream and downstream emissary’s waters was observed, variations due to the main polluting agents, between 2005-2008. As a result of the carried out analysis, it was observed that both household waters and mine waters represent major pollution sources of the Jiu River. Generally speaking, the mines and the CPP Coroiesti are great industrial and tap water consumers, while the eviction of the used waters in carried out both with and without purging them. The main polluters within the Jiu hydrographical basin are the city of Craiova, DOLJCHIM Craiova, Lupeni, and Petrila mine dressings. The main polluting agent present in the surface waters was represented by solid suspensions. They are to be found in small concentrations in the surface waters upstream of industrial units, and their value increases significantly after spilling the used waters from the respective mines. Also, there were noted concentrations of ammonium, phosphorous, organic substances, hydrogen sulfide, detergents, and mining substances exceeding the maximum allowed concentrations. Solid suspensions contain heavy metals. The concentration of heavy metals was determined by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS)
1997
Up to 1997, when in the Jiu Valley took place an ample restructuring process of the mining sector, there functioned 13 mines that used to spill significant amounts of residual water in the emissary. They were: Lonea Mine, Lonea Pilier Mine, Petrila Mine, Petrila South Mine, Dalja Mine, Livezeni Mine, Aninoasa Mine, Vulcan Mine, Paroseni Mine, Lupeni Mine, Barbateni Mine, Uricani Mine, and Valea de Brazi Mine. Currently, 7 of these mines still function, namely: Lonea Mine, Petrila Mine, Livezeni Mine, Vulcan Mine, Paroseni Mine, Lupeni Mine, and Uricani Mine, the rest of them being shut down. In the Jiu Valley, four coal processing plants (CPP) were used to function. They were: Petrila CPP, Livezeni CPP, Coroiesti CPP and Lupeni CPP. Currently, Petrila CPP, Livezeni CPP, and Lupeni CPP are shut down; only the Coroiesti CPP still exists.
1989
Before 1989, the mining industry development strategy provided for the full supply of mineral resources to the Romanian economy in order to reduce imports. The result of this policy was an overdeveloped mining sector compared to Romania's solid mineral resources potential. The negative impact of mining activities on the environment is a direct one and it is strictly connected with the extracting activity of the useful mineral ores, on the one hand. It is indirectly connected with the processing activity of the mining products.