Talvivaara mine: environmental disaster in Finland
Since the November 4, 2012[1] a cocktail of poisonous chemicals leaked from the Talvivaara mine in Eastern Finland to the surrounding rivers and lakes. An investigation of the Finnish Environment Institute found high levels of aluminium, cadmium, nickel, uranium and zinc in the released waste waters. In a big demonstration about 1,000 people demanded to close the mine. A petition with some 17,000 signatures was handed over to the Minister of Environment.[2]
Only during the first day of the desaster, over 220,000 cubic metres of waste water have leaked from a gypsum waste pond at the Talvivaara mine in Kainuu. Some of the water has spilled to an area outside the mine.[3] Since that day the leakage continued for at least ten days. The operator of the mine tried for weeks to close the leak[4]. On November 8 they announced to have blocked a leak at its gypsum pond. Only half a day later a new leakage was reported. It is estimated that over 10,000 kilos of nickel and unknown amounts of uranium escaped the mine.[4]
According to the Kainuu Employment and Economic Development Centre the gypsum pond was not supposed to be used for storing waste waters, and that there had not been any special permit for that. On November 8, Minister of Environment Ville Niinistö called the leak a "serious environmental crime".[4] Since years local people had accused Talvivaara to have extracted hundreds of tons of uranium a year without permission.[5]
For several days the Talvivaara company was not able to locate the site of the leak[6]. Since the beginning of the catastrophe, the mine has discharged hundreds of thousands of cubic metres of toxic effluent into the nearby environment[7]. According to a local newspaper some 4,000 cubic metres of waste water escaped the Talvivaara mine per hour[8]. Greenpeace called it "Finland's biggest chemical catastrophe in history"[1].
The mine has leaked heavy metals like cadmium and nickel into its surroundings and nearby lakes. The uranium concentration in the effluent has risen by 100-200 times its normal level in the bottom and surface waters.[7] Military and civil helicopters were in operation to plug the leaks in the waste water dam. "Helicopters are used to dump neutralizing calcium into the waste water, as well as moving concrete and patching material to leakages" explained the news company YLE. Some 150-200 people were busy to block the leaks and to build a safety dam, said Minister Nissinen.[9] Also soldiers from the Kainuu Brigade and local volunteer fire fighters were involved to the rescue activities[10].
According to the Finnish authorities, "pollutants in nearby waterways are at levels that may cause the death of fish and affect plants and bottom-dwelling organisms". Although the the Finnish Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority claimed the released uranium would not pose a threat to neither environment nor humans, they at the same time admitted it to be a potential health risk when it makes its way into drinking water.[11]
Chair of the parliament’s Environment Committee Matti Korhonen said on November 14 authorities should prevent the mine from resuming operations[12].
Material:
- Talvivaara leak newsstream
- video of the rally in Helsinki on November 14 Finnish
- photos of the rally in Helsinki (free to use, source must be mentioned)
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/news/Blogs/makingwaves/chemical-spill-finland/blog/42935/ as at November 17, 2012
- ↑ http://yle.fi/uutiset/stop_talvivaara_protest_brings_carnival_mood_to_helsinki/6376956 as at November 17, 2012
- ↑ http://yle.fi/uutiset/talvivaara_waste_water_leaks_into_environment/6363459 as at November 17, 2012
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 http://yle.fi/uutiset/talvivaara_waste_water_leak_plugged/6369461 as at November 17, 2012
- ↑ http://www.stoptalvivaara.org/fi/newsstream.html as at November 17, 2012
- ↑ http://yle.fi/uutiset/talvivaara_struggles_to_find_leak/6366349 as at November 17, 2012
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 http://www.sll.fi/ajankohtaista/tiedotteet/2012/concern-over-toxic-leak-from-europe2019s-largest-nickel-mine-in-north-eastern-finland as at November 17, 2012
- ↑ http://www.stoptalvivaara.org/fi/waste-towards-savolax.html as at November 17, 2012
- ↑ http://yle.fi/uutiset/talvivaara_waste_water_pond_still_leaking/6371489 as at November 17, 2012
- ↑ http://yle.fi/uutiset/talvivaara_leak_continues/6371975 as at November 17, 2012
- ↑ http://yle.fi/uutiset/mine_leak_environmental_impact_worsens/6373577 as at November 17, 2012
- ↑ http://yle.fi/uutiset/environment_committee_chair_calls_for_halt_to_talvivaara_operations/6375739 as at November 17, 2012
