Eastern Waste Dump – ArcelorMittal Omarska
Above remediation valueMedia tested
Summary
The site is the eastern dump of solid waste rock from the ArcelorMittal iron-ore surface mine in Prijedor, covering about 92 hectares east of the active pit. It is a large filled platform with no residential or business buildings and minimal vegetation, part of the wider mining complex. The dump lies about sixty metres from the river Gomjenica. Testing found selenium in the dump soil and in the river sediment at a level indicating that cleanup is needed, and in the river itself selenium and cadmium above the permitted water-quality limits. The other tested metals stayed within remediation limits, and pollution linked to oil was not found above limits.
Assessment findings
Findings of concern
- In the dump soil and in the sediment of the nearby river, selenium reached a level indicating that cleanup is needed — the most serious finding at the site.
- In the river Gomjenica beside the dump, selenium was strongly elevated and cadmium was above the permitted water-quality limit.
- Cadmium and nickel were above the level at which land is no longer considered clean in parts of the soil and sediment, while iron — as expected for iron-ore waste — was elevated in the river water.
Positive findings
- Apart from selenium, all the other tested metals stayed within remediation limits in the soil and sediment — the most severe category of contamination was not confirmed for any other metal.
- Oil-related pollutants and combustion-related compounds were within limits in the soil and sediment.
- In the river Gomjenica, most of the tested metals, oil-related pollutants and combustion-related compounds met the permitted water-quality limits.
Photo gallery
The project results have been submitted to the competent institutions as a basis for improving regulation and for strategic planning of further activities.
Legal basis
- Rulebook on limit and remediation values of polluting, harmful and hazardous substances in soil (Official Gazette of RS No. 82/21)
- Decree on water classification and watercourse categorization (Official Gazette of RS No. 42/01)
