NATUURGEBIEDEN STARA KAMIENICA BEDREIGD DOOR WINNING URANIUM

demonstratie voor het gemeentehuis
video 1     video 2    video 3      video 4       video 5       video 6 

burgemeester Poczynek met Nemo -petitie

Petitie van Stichting Nemo
Stara Kamienica 13 oktober 2011

PETITION OF FOUNDATION NEMO
against planned uranium searches

Fundacja Nemo objects to the report on the environmental impact of investments consisting in search of uranium deposits in the area of'Stara Kamienica in the villages Kopaniec and Kromnów (environmental impact assessment of EKOID on behalf of European Resources Poland).

Fundacja Nemo asks the wójt of Stara Kamienica mr. Wojciech Poczynek
- to reject the environmental impact assessment of European Resources Poland
- to prevent any activity in favor of the search or exploitation of uranium ore or any other mining activity in the area of Stara Kamienica
- to follow the recommendations of the Technical University of Wroclaw (Final Report 2004)
- to protect the natural and cultural values of this landscape according the nearby protected nature reserves, the local spaceplan and the Plan Odnowy Miejscowosci Kopaniec na lata 2010 - 2018

Arguments

The ecological impact assessment of European Resources Poland is not objective, not correct and misleading. It is written as a plea for mining, and it cannot be named an ecological impact assessment. 

The place of the old uranium mine in Kopaniec is still very dangerous according the final report of a co-ordinated research project 2000–2004 by A. Piestrzynski (University of Mining and Metallurgy, Faculty of Geology, Geophysics and Environmental Protection) about the former uranium mine Kopaniec. Quote: “these impoundments are unprotected and are readily accessible for unauthorized trespassers, and it is still possible to find fragments of uranium ore in the deposited material that contain 0.7% of U. Dispersal of uranium can take place due to erosion and transport by river waters, chemical dissolution by rain waters and migration into groundwaters, and antropogenically, when mining wastes containing uranium are utilized for construction. Floods may acerbate uranium dispersion. Both past and recent field -measurements showed the presence of high radiation levels on the surfaces of the mine dumps.” New drilling or mining activities will increase these dangers and worsen the present situation.

The report of the Technical University of Wroclaw supported by the German ministery of Ecology (Überwindung der Folgewirkungen von Bergbauvorhaben) in 2007 about radioactive pollution in Jelenia Góra district, gives the following recommendations about the uranium mine in Kopaniec:
- Reduction of radiation exposure to a natural level by appropriate technical measures,
- Integration of the site in the natural landscape and adapt to a use for recreation and tourism.
- The rehabilitation works would be carried out by: long-term stability with a multi-layer cover including re-greening. Creating and coordinating an environmental monitoring system by the local authorities. 
Quote: “The mining site in Kopaniec has high priority from a radiological point of view.”
Concerning public health and protection of landscape/nature, local authorities should follow these recommendations.

Because uranium ore emits radon gas, the health effects of high exposure to radon is a particular problem in the mining of uranium; significant excess lung cancer deaths have been identified in epidemiological studies of uranium miners. All radiation is cumulative, every small amount of radiation you get adds to your susceptibility to cancer. Even the searches will lead to unacceptable pollution of soil, water and air.

A huge amount of ore would need to be mined to produce small amounts of uranium. This means complete destruction or the precious natural and historical landscapes of the foothills of Izery Mountains and the villages Kromnów, Kopaniec and Chromiec.

Not only mining and pollution causes problems, but also the heavy transport, dust, noise, light will cause problems in a much bigger area. The whole area of gmina Stara Kamienica will get the atmosphere of an industrial area.

The community of Stara Kamienica will have no profit of the mines, because the technical workers will come from far away, and the damage will be bigger than the income.

For sure a concession for (the preparation of) uranium mining will cause a concession for the Pol Skal plans for digging leucite in Mala Kamienica, because uranium and leucite are linked to each other and Pol Skal is waiting for any opportunity to obtain a concession.

The planned mining area in Kopaniec (Popiel) is just on the border on valuable protected nature reserves (Natura 2000, protected birds zone). The researches and the mining will cause enormous damage to these nature reserves.

The planned mining areas are very near villages. The social impact on the local community will be most harmful and lead to social, mental and health problems.

The local council and government of Stara Kamienica decided that the destination of the villages near Izery Mountains (Kromnów, Kopaniec, Chromiec, Antoniów, Mala Kamienica, Miedzylesie etc.) would be focused on the development of health tourism (luftkurort), nature tourism, culture/nature/landscape protection, ecological farming. This decision was formally worked out in the local space plan and the detailed Plan Odnowy Miejscowosci Kopaniec na lata 2010 - 2018. In no way mining activity fits in these plans.

Old people in the villages have lively and traumatic memories to the old uranium mines. Many people died because of these mines or got ill. New uranium mines will open old wounds and the impact on the community will be traumatic again. 

All new economic activities around the planned mining area (Osada Kopaniec, artist colony Kopaniec, cultural centre Kromnów, Nemocentre, all agrotourist facilities and ecofarming) will disappear because of mining activities. The whole area will be changed into a new black triangle.

Mining companies as Pol Skal and European Resources Poland are vehicles of foreign investors. Poland should be proud of her cultural heritage and not sell out valuable cultural landscapes and nature reserves to foreign investors.

In Poland there are no uranium mines. Uranium mining in Stara Kamienica does’nt fit in the Polish policy concerning uranium.

ATTACHMENTS

IAEA-TECDOC-1403 The long term stabilization of uranium mill tailings. Final report of a co-ordinated research project. 2000–2004. August 2004
ANNEX X. POLAND II ROOM TEMPERATURE CERAMICS, THE BREAKTHROUGH MATERIAL FOR LONG TERM STABILISATION AND ISOLATION OF LOW LEVEL URANIUM
RESIDUES A. Piestrzynski. University of Mining and Metallurgy, Faculty of Geology, Geophysics and Environmental Protection
X-1. ABSTRACT

While some 100 hundred locations with uranium mineralisations are found in Poland, only three contained economic reserves and where mined. The tailings impoundment at Kowary Podgorze required attention due to degradation. This paper examines the design and materials for improving the retention of radionuclides within the tailings body. Certain uranium and radium sulphate minerals exhibit low solubilities and fostering their formation appears to be a good way to improve the long-term stability of the tailings. Their formation conditions and wheathering resistance were investigated.

X-2. INTRODUCTION
Some 100 localities with uranium mineralisation are found in the Lower Silesia district in Poland. Only three of them (Kowary Podgorze, Radoniow and Kletno) contained economic reserves and were mined. The Kopaniec deposit contained subeconomic uranium ores only [X-1]. Uranium exploration and exploitation took place in the early 1950s and caused local pollution around the four active mining areas (Kowary Podgorze, Radoniow, Kletno and Kopaniec). Mining of uranium in Poland ended in 1963, but hydrometallurgical processing of low-grade ores was continued at Kowary until 1972 [X-2]. These processing activities resulted in a significant amount of solid residues that were stored in a tailings pond. It may release contaminants to the environment. A survey of all contaminated sites within Lower Silesia has been carried out in 1971 and in 1991-1994, 1997 and 1998 [X-3]. These investigations revealed local-scale impact of uranium mining and milling on the environment in Lower Silesia. Uranium contamination is limited to the mining milling residue impoundments and their close vicinity at Kowary Podgorze, Radoniow, Kopaniec and Kletno. All of the impoundments are unprotected and are readily accessible for unauthorized trespassers, and it is still possible to find fragments of uranium ore in the deposited material that contain 0.7% of U. Dispersal of uranium can take place due to erosion and transport by river waters, chemical dissolution by rain waters and migration into groundwaters, and antropogenically, when mining wastes containing uranium are utilized for construction. Floods may acerbate uranium dispersion. Both past and recent field -measurements showed the presence of high radiation levels on the surfaces of the mine dumps at Kowary Podgorze, Radoniow, and Kletno. The Kowary Podgorze and Kletno dumps contain ore fragments with up to 1,500 ppm and 9,370 ppm U(11,650 Bq/kg of radium), respectively.
249

1. INTRODUCTION
A small number of areas contaminated with natural radioactive elements are known in the Lower Silesia District. The uranium exploration and exploitation took place in the early 1950s and caused local pollution surrounding four active operation areas (Kowary Podgórze, Radoniów, Kletno, and Kopaniec). Monitoring of all contaminated sites within Lower Silesia has been carried out in 1971 and in 1991-1994, 1997 and 1998 [1]. Both past and recent field g-measurements showed the presence of high radiation levels on surfaces of the mine dumps at Kowary Podgórze, Radoniów and Kletno. The Kowary Podgórze and Kletno dumps contain ore fragments with up to 1500 ppm and 9370 ppm U (11650 Bq/kg of radium), respectively. At Kowary Podgórze the dump at the adits 19 and 19a is eroded and particles containing Uminerals are transported downstream of the Jedlica river [1]. The catastrophic flood which took place in Summer 1997 caused rapid erosion and dispersion of the uranium-bearing material dumps into the Jedlica river valley.
2. URANIUM DEPOSITS
Some 100 localities with uranium mineralisation have been found in the Lower Silesia
district. Only three of them (Kowary Podgórze, Radoniów and Kletno) contained economic reserves and were mined. Kopaniec deposit contained subeconomic uranium ores only [2]. The uranium mining ceased in Poland in early 1960's but processing of subgrade ore has continued up to 1972 [3].
3. METHODS AND OBSERVATIONS
The mineralogical composition of waste was determined using an ore microscope and XRD. Under the microscope pan concentrates obtained from the two optically different types of 2 waste have been studied. The XRD analyses have been carried out on fine-grained material (clay fraction) separated from the waste. The fine fraction of waste was obtained by suspending the waste in distillated water. After 4 hours of sedimentation, the supernate containing the clays in suspension was collected and then dried. Radium activities were measured at the Faculty of Physics and Nuclear Techniques of the University of Mining and Metallurgy in Kraków using gamma spectroscopy.
3.1. Kowary Podgórze- tailing pond
In the Kowary Podgórze area two mines were in operation. The older, iron-ore mine has been active since the 11th century. The second mine has been opened shortly after World War II. At this mine, uranium ores were extracted during the period 1951-1963. The tailing pond is situated within the facilities of the old iron mine, on the slope (10 to 25°) of Rudnik Mt. Till. There are no on-going rehabilitation and remediation works. The tailing pond contains sediments of sand and clay grain size fractions, and is composed of quartz, feldspar, various micas, amphibolite, clay minerals (as decomposition products of of original material), fluorite, pyrite and some other unidentified mineral phases, as well as some metallurgical solid residues with high content of Al, Ni, Zn and Na-sulphates. During a 1997 flood, the tailing dumps were not been damaged, however, the problems related to their stabilization will be looked at in the course of a remediation project.

Speczik S, Wiszniewska J (1984) Some comments about strati form tin deposits in the Stara Kamienica chain (southwestern Poland). Mineral Deposita 19: Abstract The origin of the stratiform tin deposits in the schist belt of the Stara Kamienica Chain, southwestern Poland, is re-examined based upon new data which has become available. It is the author's opinion that no genetic implications should be attached to the stratiform character of the deposits. Hydrothermal metasomatism associated with acid intrusives of the Variscan Karkonosze massif introduced mineralizing fluids along tectonic lineaments. Some comments about stratiform tin deposits in the Stara Kamienica Chain (southwestern Poland) 
Journal Mineralium Deposita Publisher Springer Berlin / Heidelberg ISSN 0026-4598 (Print) 1432-1866 (Online) Subject Earth and Environmental Science Issue Volume 19, Number 3 / July, 1984 DOI 10.1007/BF00199781 Pages 171-175 SpringerLink Date Tuesday, November 16, 2004 

REPORT OF THE TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY OF WROCLAW SUPPORTED BY THE GERMAN MINISTERY OF ECOLOGY (ÜBERWINDUNG DER FOLGEWIRKUNGEN VON BERGBAUVORHABEN) IN 2007 ABOUT RADIOACTIVE POLLUTION IN JELENIA GÓRA DISTRICT
Nach Tabelle 9 wurden diesem Objekt 33 Rankingpunkte zugewiesen. Damit wurde im Vergleich mit allen anderen untersuchten Objekten die zweithöchste Einstufung erreicht. Sie liegt darin begründet, dass flächenhafte Kontaminationen vorliegen, die unmittelbar an landwirtschaftliche und gärtnerische Landnutzungen anschließen, Wohnbebauung liegt näher als 100 m, und direkt am Haldenfuß befinden sich Fischzuchtgewässer. Die Haldenböschung ist auf dieser Seite rutschungsgefährdet. Die maximale Gamma-Ortsdosisleistung liegt bei > 2 000 nSv/h und der Durchschnittswert beläuft sich auf rund 670 nSv/h. Vor diesem Hintergrund ist aus radiologischer Sicht Bedarf für Sanierungsarbeiten ableitbar. Zusätzlich ist zu beachten, dass direkt an der Halde ein Schacht liegt. Er wurde nach Einstellung des Bergbaus abgedeckt. Zustand der Ausbauten in der Schachtröhre und der Abdeckung sind nicht bekannt. Nach den Erfahrungen aus dem ehemaligen Uranbergbau in Sachsen ist bei aufgelassenen Bergbauobjekten aus dieser Zeit davon auszugehen, dass nur provisorische Verwahrungen erfolgten. Es ist davon auszugehen, dass langzeitig keine stabilen geotechnischen Verhältnisse bestehen
und plötzliche Schadensereignisse eintreten können. Folgender konzeptioneller Ansatz für die Standortsanierung wird vorgeschlagen: 
- Reduzierung der Strahlenexposition auf ein natürliches Niveau durch geeignete
technische Maßnahmen,
- Eingliederung des Haldengeländes in die natürliche Landschaft und Anpassung an
eine Nutzung für Erholung und Tourismus.
- Die auszuführenden Sanierungsarbeiten würden folgende wesentliche Teilleistungen
beinhalten: Neukontourierung der Halde und langzeitstabile Abdeckung mit einem Mehrschichtsystem, Wiederbegrünung; Verfüllung des Schachtes. Im Rahmen detaillierter Untersuchungen und Planungen sind die dafür notwendigen Voraussetzungen
für die Sanierung der übertägigen Anlagen sowie die sichere und langzeitstabile
Verwahrung des Schachtes zu schaffen und mit den zuständigen Behörden sowie betroffenen Anwohnern abzustimmen. Ein Umweltmonitoringsystem ist zu installieren. 
Die in Tabelle 9 für die Gemeinde Kopaniec an zweiter Stelle aufgeführte Halde mit der Objekt- Nummer 02002 weist nur 3 Rankingpunkte auf und ist aus radiologischer Sicht unbedeutend. Dieser Umstand ergibt sich dadurch, dass dieses Objekt weit entfernt von der nächsten Wohnbebauung liegt und nur auf einer kleinen Fläche eine Kontamination mit Uranerzresten aufweist.

Zustand der Ausbauten in der Schachtröhre und der Abdeckung sind nicht bekannt. Nach den Erfahrungen aus dem ehemaligen Uranbergbau in Sachsen ist bei aufgelassenen Bergbauobjekten aus dieser Zeit davon auszugehen, dass nur provisorische Verwahrungen erfolgten. Es ist davon auszugehen, dass langzeitig keine stabilen geotechnischen Verhältnisse bestehen und plötzliche Schadensereignisse eintreten können. 
Folgender konzeptioneller Ansatz für die Standortsanierung wird vorgeschlagen:
- Reduzierung der Strahlenexposition auf ein natürliches Niveau durch geeignete
technische Maßnahmen,
- Eingliederung des Haldengeländes in die natürliche Landschaft und Anpassung an
eine Nutzung für Erholung und Tourismus.
- Die auszuführenden Sanierungsarbeiten würden folgende wesentliche Teilleistungen
beinhalten: Neukontourierung der Halde und langzeitstabile Abdeckung mit einem
Mehrschichtsystem, Wiederbegrünung; Verfüllung des Schachtes.

Im Rahmen detaillierter Untersuchungen und Planungen sind die dafür notwendigen Voraussetzungen für die Sanierung der übertägigen Anlagen sowie die sichere und langzeitstabile Verwahrung des Schachtes zu schaffen und mit den zuständigen Behörden sowie betroffenen Anwohnern abzustimmen. Ein Umweltmonitoringsystem ist zu installieren. Die in Tabelle 9 für die Gemeinde Kopaniec an zweiter Stelle aufgeführte Halde mit der Objekt- Nummer 02002 weist nur 3 Rankingpunkte auf und ist aus radiologischer Sicht unbedeutend. Dieser Umstand ergibt sich dadurch, dass dieses Objekt weit entfernt von der nächsten Wohnbebauung liegt und nur auf einer kleinen Fläche eine Kontamination mit Uranerzresten aufweist.

Schwerpunktmäßig sind Flächen der Gemeinde Kowary von den Folgen des ehemaligen
Uranbergbaus und der Erzaufbereitung betroffen. Hohe Priorität aus radiologischer Sicht besitzt auch ein Bergbaustandort in Kopaniec. Die Gemeinden Wojcieszyce, Mniszków und Miedzianka weisen zwar zahlreiche Bergbauhinterlassenschaften auf, jedoch ist deren radiologischeRelevanz weniger groß.

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