Doñana disaster

The Doñana Disaster, also known as the Aznalcollar Disaster or Guadiamar Disaster (Sp: Desastre de Aznalcóllar, Desastre del Guadiamar), was an industrial accident in Andalusia, southern Spain. On 25 April 1998, a holding dam burst at the Los Frailes mine, near Aznalcóllar, Seville Province, releasing 4–5 million cubic metres of mine tailings. The acidic tailings, which contained dangerous levels of several heavy metals, quickly reached the nearby River Agrio, and then its affluent the River Guadiamar, travelling about 40 kilometres along these waterways before they could be stopped.[1] The Guadiamar is the main water source for the Doñana National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the largest national parks in Europe.[2][3] The cleanup operation took three years, at an estimated cost of €240 million.[4]

The Los Frailes mine is owned by Boliden-Apirsa (formerly Andaluza de Piritas, S.A.), the Spanish subsidiary of Boliden, and produces about 125,000 tonnes of zinc and 2.9 million ounces of silver per year.[3]

History

The park is one of Europe’s best known conservation areas and has been designated a UNESCO biosphere reserve, a Ramsar Wetland Site, and a UNESCO World Heritage site.[5]The park’s past includes a well-chronicled human history stretching back 700 years.[5]

National Park

Doñana National Park, just east of Portugal, is located between two provinces of Andalucia, Seville and Huelva. It is notable for the great diversity of its biotopes, especially lagoons, marshlands, fixed and mobile dunes, scrub woodland and maquis. [6] As one of the continent's biggest natural reserves, Doñana is also host of a large variety of bird species. Because of its location and close proximity between Africa and Europe, more than half a million birds winter in the park each year, and perhaps half of Europe’s bird species can be spotted here at one time or another. [6]

Effects

The industrial disaster led to a chain of serious environmental issues in the Andalusia region. A not very visible toxic chain spread through the nature which was difficult to break down. [7]High levels of heavy metals are still embedded in soil and water and have found a way into the wildlife. [7]Another major problem lies in the health of the animals that lived around the park. In this mixture of swamps and woodlands, 300 species of birds breed, feed or stop over on their migratory route between Northern Europe and Africa.[7]

Costs

The mine, owned by Boliden Ltd. of Canada, has spent more than $52 million cleaning up, repairing damage and reimbursing farmers for lost crops. [7]

Ajka alumina plant accident (2010)

References

  1. ↑ Aguilar, J.; Dorronsoro, C.; Fernández, E.; Fernández, J.; García, I.; Martín, F.; Ortiz, I.; Simón, M., El desastre ecológico de Aznalcóllar, University of Granada, retrieved 10 October 2010.
  2. ↑ Achterberg, E. (1999), "Impact of Los Frailes mine spill on riverine, estuarine and coastal waters in southern Spain", Water Res., 33: 3387, doi:10.1016/S0043-1354(99)00282-1.
  3. 1 2 Boliden Says To Reopen Aznalcollar On Tuesday, Reuters, 7 April 1999.
  4. ↑ "El desastre que amenazó Doñana", El País, 6 October 2010.
  5. 1 2 "Donana National Park, Spain". National Geographic.
  6. 1 2 "Donana National Park". UNESCO.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Marlise, Simons. "Year-Old Spill Poisons Farms and Wild Food Chain". The New York Times.

External links

Coordinates: 37°31′N 6°15′W / 37.517°N 6.250°W / 37.517; -6.250

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