Hi Tweets,

Some more on the environmental disaster in Spain from John Muddeman.

M


>Dear All,
>
>Following my posting yesterday, I'd like to give more details concerning
>the event, resulting from watching a documentary just televised by TVE
>('Spanish Television').
>
>Doana National Park, Andalucia
>
>On Saturday night, a dam at Aznalcollar, retaining at least 5 million
>cubic metres of water and mud heavily contaminated with sulphuric acid
>and heavy metals (e.g. mercury, cadmium, bromine, zinc, copper, and
>iron) from an old mine system, breached, releasing a 'black tide' of
>water into the River Guadiamar, and surface-water system feeding into
>the National Park.
>
>Due to the heavy load of suspended mud, 'fortunately', the progress of
>the flow was relatively slow, and (prompt) action and the placing of
>barriers has so far prevented direct entry of this water into the NP,
>diverting it via another river into the River Guadalquivir, where the
>more liquid part of the release is already beginning to flow out into
>the sea. The mud load has now apparently largely settled, with the lower
>point a few km north of the northern edge of the NP.
>
>This 'tide' however has overflowed into approx. 6000 Ha of agricultural
>land lining the course of the flow, causing an estimated 12,000 million
>pts of damage to these interests. The highly acid nature of the material
>has burned a path from the point of escape down almost to the level of
>the NP. In terms of immediate effects, apart from the destruction
>(physical and chemical) of all the vegetation along the flow line, and
>the immediate death of huge numbers of fish (and all other aquatic
>life), the major fear for birds is that large numbers which go to feed
>in the area will eat the corpses and thus take up the heavy metals
>ingested.
>
>As if this were not enough, the short-term risks are not over, as rain
>in the area could cause movements of the material and breaching of the
>dikes built to divert the flow to the R. Guadalquivir. In addition, the
>long-term effects are potentialy much more serious for the NP, as it is
>feared that the highly toxic mud dumped along its path will slowly leach
>the heavy metals into the ground-water system, and thus feed throughout
>the entire system.
>
>An estimated 300,000 million pts will be required to effect a clean-up,
>which it was said will come from the Swiss mining company involved -
>Boliden. Alledgedly, despite repeated calls from various bodies, dating
>back over 10 years, for serious action to be taken concerning the mining
>wastes, nothing was done.
>
>Other interests are being affected, and the diverting of the water away
>from the NP is not without criticism. Locals working in agriculture, and
>the mining and fishing industries are reacting to the saving of the NP,
>as their own livelihoods have been put seriously at risk. The latter
>especially, are threatened as a result of the action taken, as the mouth
>of the Guadalquivir supports a large fishing industry.
>
>That's about all for now. Will try to keep you posted of any changes.
>
>If you are going down that way, make it clear you are an ecotourist,
>spending money in the region. Despite being the most important wetland
>in Europe, Doana needs all the friends it can get.
>
>
>John Muddeman
>
>GEIMA S.L.
>Birdwatching Trips in central Spain
>
>C/ Los Alamillos 4, esc. 2, 3-F,
>28260 Galapagar,
>Madrid
>Spain
>
>Tel.: 34-918597130
>Email: tetrax20 at hotmail.com
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