Selected aspects of transformation process and environmental conditions of mining villages after the stoppage of mining activities (on the example of Rudňany and Slovinky). RNDr. Juliana Krokusová, PhD. - RNDr. Vladimír Čech, PhD. Department of Geography and Regional Development FHPV PU Ul. 17 novembra 1, Prešov 081 16 Tel.: 051/7570278, fax: 051/7725547 e-mail:
[email protected],
[email protected]
Introduction The middle Spiš region represents the middle part of a large historical Spiš region. There are rich supplies of mineral resources, mainly cupriferous and iron ore. In this region was an intensive mining and industrial activity in the past. In recent years this activity has been gone down. Because of resource depletion and uneconomic mining, its activity has been stopped and all mines have been closed. Today, more than fifteen years after stop mining, we can still investigate the consequences of mining, not only its effect on the environment but also villages which were directly influenced by mining. .
1 Characteristics of selected mining villages Rudňany and Slovinky represent a classic example of mining villages in Spiš region. Very intensive mining activity was in these villages in the past. The beginning of mining activity is stretching back to the end of 13th century. Nowadays the mining activity is stopped, mines closed and enterprises were liquidated. Only abandoned seedily buildings, covered up shafts, by vegetation perfoliated dumps, dessicantioned setting pits and unemployed people are the memories of the past. The mining itself as well as its stop meant so much for the region and people living there. Operating mine and its stop negatively influenced all land components, people´s health, mainly mineworkers. Stop mining meant job loss and social insecurity for a large number of unemployed mineworkers´s families.
1.1 Rudňany Rudňany is located in northern part of Slovenské Rudohorie, in geomorphologic unit Volovské mountains, subunit Hnilecké mountains. Rudňany is approximately 11-16 km southeast from Spišská Nová Ves. Its altitude is 475 to 959. The midpoint of the village is in the altitude of 547. Through Rudňany village runs the road of third class number 536005 from the village Poráč, through Markušovce to Spišská Nová Ves. Company was until the year 1993 the biggest polluter of the air and all environmental components of heavy metals – Hg, Cu, Cd, Pb, Sb… The main sources of air pollution were mercury and baryta operations. After stop mining and production in 1993 the problem of air pollution has been simplified. Till the end of the year 1996 the mining was decreased on 15 % original capacity and some operations were layed up or liquided. It is estimated that after 60 years of old company operation on heat processing ore leaked into the air some thousand tonnes Hg mainly in metal form.
1.2 Slovinky Slovinky is located in northeast part of Slovenské Rudohorie, in geomorphologic unit Volovské mountains, subunit Hnilecké mountains. The village is 5 km southwest from Krompachy city. Catastral area is 46.45 km2, from the area point of view it is the biggest
village in Spišská Nová Ves district. Altitude is among 400 to 1081 (Ostrý vrch). The midpoint has 442 altitude. Through Slovinky runs byway which connects the road II in Krompachy number 547, which runs from Spišské Podhradie through Krompachy to Košice. There is no railway in the village. Ore area Slovinky belongs to the biggest deposit of modern ores in Spis region. The main items of the mining were copper and silver ores for a long time. Building of a company started in 1898. The main aim was the supplying of metallurgical factory in Krompachy by iron ore with the parallel using of copper, which had to be eliminating from iron ore, so that it could not spoil a quality of raw iron.
2 Mining and its environmental impact The influence of mining activity on land and its components presents a complex problem. Mining of mineral resources leaves inconvertible changes underground as well as surface. Underground worked out arises a system of shafts, stopes and chambers. These worked-out spaces represent mining basement. In undermined areas very often drop come up. They can have different vertical extent and spatial distribution. Besides this fact we can observe on surface whole scale of mining anthropogenic forms. The most frequent are dumps and setting pits. These forms rise during mining, but they still stay there after its finish. There are several ways of their recultivation. Dumps exist in bigger amount as setting pits and offer wider possibilities on their reconstruction. Material from dumps is often used on planation, but not only of mining terrain. It is very often used on planation of cave-in areas, which rose from a mining activity. From the time of the active mining till today many changes have occurred in order of dangerousness of influences each mining forms. During active mining of mineral resources the biggest problem was formation of drops and cave-in areas. These forms occurred in Rudňany and Slovinky. Subsequently, reconstruction of endangered houses was started. Drops and cave-in process occurred more frequently in Rudňany. We can observe one big cave-in belt nowadays between Rudňany and Poráč, in "Baniská" part. Second problem of this area were dumps. They took relatively big area and reach big high. Several years, after stop mining of mineral resources, the situation has changed. Several experts who study this problem in this area agree that the biggest problems are setting pits and water leaking from mining spaces. This water is contaminated by a large content of heavy metals and causes e.g: fish kill. Setting pits are not covered by vegetation. When the wind is strong, soft ludge spread around surroundings. Mineral resources extraction has always been not only technical and economical concern, but also a problem of environment. Expert´s opinions of influence of dumps and setting pits on environment are different. We can sometimes come across the opinion that dumps and setting pits only accumulate material which is homogenous with minerals build up the area and therefore this activity does not present an important danger factor. Advocates of this opinion mention the fact that each dump sooner or later will be covered by vegetation and causes only change of a land picture. On the contrary, most of experts agree with the fact that dumps and setting pits represent a negative element in the land. Therefore, it is very important to choose appropriate areas for location of these forms before starting of mining. To prefer modern and environmental technology during mining. After mining, not to leave them like that but eliminate and liquid them and effectively use possibilities, which they purvey, accordance with modern technical means and current environmental requests. After 1989 extractive and repair industry in this region has soften. An important turning point happened in 1992 and 1993. In march 1993 in Rudňany serious enterprises
(copper and baryta) and mining shafts (Zimné, 5RPII, Mier) were layed up. We can see on the table that after stop mining, the content of heavy metals in the air rapidly decreased. Chart 1 Production of emission by Želba Rudňany
Chart 2 Number of workers in mine of Rudňany
t.r-1 3 500 3 000 2 500 2 000 1 500 1 000 500 CO
0 1990
1993
1994
SO2 1995
1996 rok
SO2 NOx CO TL
Copper mining finished 30.6.1993 in Slovinky. On that day was mined the last copper cart in Slovinky mine, which is symbolically located in front of today seedily office mine building. After stop mining and revitalization remedies environment in this region has improved. The content of emission in the air has rapidly sunk. Nature and vegetation have restored. Slovinky and Rudňany are located in very beautiful surroundings and tourism has developed. Citizen like these changes, mainly clean air. Regenerated power of nature and effectiveness of remedies we can see in Rudňany. Near the mines all forests were destroyed and were replaced by hollow hills reminding “moon land”. Rudňany was famous not only for its mines but also devastated nature. By stop mining the situation has improved and vegetation has restored.
3 The social impact of mining slump Stop mining had a significant negative impact on economic and social situation in the region. Unemployment and social insecurity increased and the standard of living decreased. The process of mining slump and the final closure of mines affected these villages as well as the life of people living in them from different points of view. The most affected were families of miners and mining employees. For miners, considering the specificity of their profession, is very hard to find a new job. The worst is the case of group after fifty approaching retirement age. For these people is difficult to retrain and start again. They feel the sense of injustice and undervaluation for many years of hard work. Young people have begun to leave. This fact did not contribute to the region from the demographic aspect. In Rudňany even discovered the phenomenon of homelessness among former unemployed miners. If someone does not have family background and loses a job in this region, it is very easy to lose the roof over the head. Each of them has a different fate. Many of them came here as very young in the times of mining bloom, they graduated mining school and stayed here to work. The mayor of Rudňany is trying to help them. He has involved them in activation work in the village and permitted them to sleep in an abandoned office building of mine. People in such difficult life situation often succumb to alcohol addiction, a labour discipline is declining etc. Despite the assistance, the solution of their problem is not easy. Sometimes a dead body is found after a few days, so the municipality must pay the funeral. Another problem is the existence of Roma settlements in environmentally precarious surroundings. In Rudňany are two such localities: Pätoracké – in the place of former office mining buildings, undermined territory
Zabíjanec – a former farmyard surrounded by dumps and contaminated by industrial activity After the closure of mines, Roma people occupied the abandoned mining buildings, in the course of time the big settlements sprung up there. In terms of environmental quality and strong contamination by heavy metals, this environment is absolutely unsuitable. The settlement Pätoracké is situated in undermined territory. Recently in September 2009, when a celing of empty space was falling and 10 meters deep crater was created. This colonisation took place with the tacit approval of local government and management of mines, even though they had been aware that this territory is completely inappropriate for residential areas. These areas are threatened by industrial pollution and in the case of Pätoracké also by permanent threat of falling with fatal consequences. The situation of Roma people has begun to change for the better. In 2001 with the assistance of the state the first 270 flats were built for the most vulnerable people in Pätoracké. Regardless in the threatened area still live more than 300 people. The municipality estimates that for the relocation is necessary to build a further 55 flats. Then probably the whole area of Roma settlements will be close. However, Roma people threaten their lives with their own negligence and breaking the rules. Despite the measures and prohibitions, they still enter the underground of mines in order to get iron from armature; thereby they seriously endanger their lives. The closure of mines affected also villages. During the largest development of mining in the region, the common feature of these villages was very good equipment in terms of health, recreational, school, sport and cultural facilities serving the mining employees as well as other residents of villages. In Rudňany was a health facility where a dentist, a paediatrician, a local doctor, an internal medicine doctor, a throat specialist and a surgeon worked. There was a bed section, a physiotherapy, a laboratory, an X-ray machine and a 24-hour medical emergency. Cultural life was realised in the multifunctional cultural centre, in which was also a cinema. Today, the homeless sleep in it; moreover, it is in a devastated condition and it is thinking about the demolition. Such a fate affected several buildings of former mines. Plundered and dilapidated buildings cause wrinkles to mayors of these villages. Some belong to private people, who refuse to communicate with the mayors. Some were occupied by Roma people, other were looted by residents of the villages. But some were saved. According to Miroslav Blišťan, the mayor of Rudňany, the positive is that the village has managed to purchase a large mining abandoned area for one million crowns. "In the former office building of erstwhile ironstone mines we want to build 42 flats. It will be small and attic flats, we would like to keep young families in the village," said Miroslav Blišťan. Image 1 The homeless in Rudňany
Author: J. Krokusová
Image 2 Roma settlement on the dump Pätoracké
Author: J. Krokusová
Image 3 Cultural centre in Rudňany
Author: J. Krokusová
Image 4 Dilapidated mining building in Slovinky
Author: J. Krokusová
Conclusion The mining country has undergone significant changes over the past several decades. Although in most of localities the mining of mineral resources did not realise, it deserves our attention. A piece of history of this region is connected with it. The former mining villages and the mining country would deserve more attention than they received until now. Stop mining and the closure of mines took place quite inconsistently. A substantial part of the documentary material was destroyed, so now it is very difficult to get some information. Mine shafts and stopes were covered and closed, but today it is still possible to enter. Buildings which reconstruction cost a lot of money are today dilapidated. The mining, as a part of history, represented a significant proportion of incomes to the state economy. A positive solution for such localities is the creation of a mining museum. In Rudňany, experts, authorities interested in this issue and representatives from the Ministry of Environment met and discussed the possibilities of creating of a mining museum in this village. This solution can contribute to the boost of this village and its surround, a development of tourism and to the increase of interest in the issue of the mining country and its history. Residents and visitors of Rudňany will be able to enjoy the view from a viewing tower, a carillon and a mining knocking tower. Around the mining shaft will be a natural mining museum. The village wants to get money for the project from Eurofunds. At present, they disposed of elaborated studies. Also, they want to preserve the history of mining in the village. Five mine shafts are destroyed; the last shaft will be preserved as a technical monument. This work has been carried out within project KEGA 3/7271/09 Geografické výskumné metódy a technické postupy pre oblasť výskumu regionálnych disparít a regionálneho rozvoja. The project is headed by: Prof. RNDr. Eva Michaeli, PhD.
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