SERBIA: Government minister says theres no danger to health or environment at present from toxic alumina waste spill in neighbouring Hungary

Record ID: 575053

  • Title: SERBIA: Government minister says theres no danger to health or environment at present from toxic alumina waste spill in neighbouring Hungary
  • Date: 9th October 2010
  • Summary: BELGRADE, SERBIA (OCTOBER 08, 2010) (REUTERS) PARLIAMENT BUILDING EXTERIOR PARLIAMENT COMMITTEE FOR ENVIRONMENT IN SESSION DEPUTY SERBIAN INTERIOR MINISTER, PREDRAG MARIC, SEATED, TURNING PAGES DOCUMENT FROM HUNGARY, WORDS CIRCLED READING: (English) "ALERT LEVEL III" MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENT AND SPATIAL PLANNING, OLIVER DULIC, ARRIVING AND SHAKING HANDS AT THE MEETING/SITTING DOWN DOCUMENT HEADLINE READING: (English) "ECOLOGICAL DISASTER IN HUNGARY 2010" DULIC CHAIRMAN OF COMMITTEE, CEDOMIR JOVANOVIC, TALKING JOVANOVIC AND MARIC ENTERING TO NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Serbian) DEPUTY SERBIAN INTERIOR MINISTER, PREDRAG MARIC, SAYING: "There are three possible scenarios, the first one is the most benign, that nothing serious will happen and we are hoping it will be that way, the second is the presence of dangerous substances, to some extent, which would prompt us to warn citizens, to ban the use of fish and collection of dead fish if that happens in an appropriate way, to prevent further escalation. Third scenario, I would not consider it at all, that third scenario means exclusion of some water systems along Danube river, but really I would like not to talk about it, because at the moment, that possibility is very, very low." SERBIAN FLAG AND COAT OF ARMS (SOUNDBITE) (Serbian) SERBIAN MINISTER FOR ENVIRONMENT AND SPATIAL PLANNING, OLIVER DULIC, SAYING: "At this moment, there's no danger to the environment and people's health. We are expecting that the flood wave with polluting substances will arrive in Serbia on Monday. The first major test of Danube waters and concentration of pollutants will be in Hungary above all, because Budapest, a major city, is on the path of pollutants, which has its water wells and which is supplying itself with water, among others, from the Danube." BELGRADE, SERBIA (OCTOBER 07, 2010) (REUTERS) RIVER DANUBE/FLOATING RESTAURANTS BIRDS ON DANUBE RIVER RESTAURANT ON DANUBE RIVER BIRDS ON DANUBE RIVER TWO DUCKS IN THE RIVER
  • Embargoed: 24th October 2010 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Serbia
  • Country: Serbia
  • Topics: Disasters / Accidents / Natural catastrophes,Environment / Natural World
  • Reuters ID: LVA67BLAVYPH4SGTLN7O27EXMP3Q
  • Story Text: There's no danger to the environment or people's health at present, Serbian environment minister says, regarding the spill of toxic alumina waste in neighbouring Hungary.
    Serbia's deputy interior minister has on Friday (October 8) described three possible scenarios which the country might face in dealing with a spill in neighbouring Hungary of red toxic waste from a bauxite refinery.
    On Monday (October 4), a containment reservoir filled with an alumina by-product with a strong caustic effect burst, completely covering an area of 800-1,000 hectares (1,920-2,400 acres) in red toxic sludge.
    The contaminated run-off has reached parts of the Danube River and is expected to reach Serbia on Monday (October 11). Predrag Maric, Serbian deputy interior minister said all government agencies remain ready to react, in case of emergency.
    "There are three possible scenarios, the first one is the most benign, that nothing serious will happen and we are hoping it will be that way, the second is the presence of dangerous substances, to some extent, which would prompt us to warn citizens, to ban the use of fish and collection of dead fish if that happens in an appropriate way, to prevent further escalation," Maric said. "Third scenario, I would not consider it at all, that third scenario means exclusion of some water systems along Danube river, but really I would like not to talk about it, because at the moment, that possibility is very, very low," Maric added.
    Meanwhile, the environment minister Oliver Dulic told a Parliament Environment Committee on Friday that the Danube River is already being monitored at river entry into the country for signs of contaminated water.
    Dulic said at present there was no danger to the environment or people's health.
    "At this moment, there's no danger to the environment and people's health. We are expecting that the flood wave with polluting substances will arrive in Serbia on Monday. The first major test of Danube waters and concentration of pollutants will be in Hungary above all, because Budapest, a major city, is on the path of pollutants, which has its water wells and which is supplying itself with water, among others, from the Danube."
    There were still no estimates of the financial damage wrought by the sludge or what caused the containment reservoir to burst.
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