photo: ministryfinnanci.cz
A working group established by the Ministry of Industry and Trade assessed and recommended a method by which the state enterprise DIAMO will safely complete the remediation of the heřmanice heap and reliably protect both the surrounding environment and the health of the population. This is the method recommended by the experts as the most appropriate and has already been successfully applied by DIAMO in the past. The duration of the work is estimated at around 10 years.
The working group considered five technical options for the possible remediation of the heap. Each of them was evaluated in terms of time and financial requirements, environmental impacts and reliability based on the procedures previously chosen in the Czech Republic and abroad. In the end, the group supported the method of sealing the thermally active part of the heap and separating it from the cold part by means of separation walls.
"This method is the most appropriate in terms of ensuring the protection of the environment in the vicinity and the health of the inhabitants, as well as limiting negative impacts during the works. The government's efforts will therefore bring a solution to this remnant of past mining activities after many years," He told Minister of Industry and Trade Jozef Síkela.
"The final resolution of the problem of the burning part of the Heřmanice heap is something that Ostrava and the entire Moravian-Silesian Region have been waiting for for many years. I am glad that a safe and proven procedure has been designed in a short time. According to preliminary calculations, the work should cost approximately CZK 2.3 billion over 10 years. I am ready to secure funding for the state enterprise DIAMO in the state budget," He said Minister of Finance Zbyněk Stanjura.
The chosen method of remediation includes the creation of a protective sarcophagus and the construction of two new separation walls B and C, which are connected to the already built wall A. The aim is to separate the thermally active parts of the heap from the unaffected tailings, chemical waste dumps and sludge ponds. The main objective is to seal the burning tailings as much as possible and to prevent air access. Effective insulation is then ensured by the materials used, such as clay soil or stabiliser from power plant fly ash.
"This method was successfully used in the rehabilitation of the burning Schoeller mine tailings in Libušín in Kladno. The state enterprise DIAMO has its own experience with this method, and even after 12 years since the completion of the work, this method has proven its worth. After implementation, the temperatures in the tailings have dropped significantly," He explained Director of the State Enterprise DIAMO Ludvík Kašpar.
According to Director Kašpar, the chosen method not only protects the environment and the health of the inhabitants, but also offers the possibility of using the heat removed from the heap to heat the surrounding buildings. A pilot project on this topic is already being carried out by VŠB-TUO in cooperation with Veolia, a.s. and the state enterprise DIAMO.
The remediation will be carried out by the state enterprise DIAMO according to a detailed project approved by all authorities concerned and by an inter-ministerial working group appointed by the Minister of Industry and Trade. The comprehensive procedure for the rehabilitation of the heřmanice heap and its financing must be confirmed by the Government, which is expected to meet on the subject in the autumn after the project study has been completed. Depending on the legislative process, the actual rehabilitation is expected to start within a year. The work is expected to take about 10 years to ensure that the process is careful and respectful of the surrounding area. The project should be financed through the state budget via the Ministry of Industry and Trade.
ministryfinance.gov.cz/gnews.cz-roz
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