MERS: Analyzed Water and Red Mud Basins in KAP Area to Evaluate Environmental Impact

Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Northern Development (MERS) has announced that the Center for Ecotoxicological Testing of Montenegro (CETI) completed sampling of surface water and red mud basins at a location near KAP. This follows recent analysis of samples from an illegal waste site to obtain a comprehensive picture of potential negative impacts on land, surface and groundwater, air, and sediments.

Minister Damjan Ćulafić was present during the sampling and explained that after completing sample collection and analysis at the illegal waste disposal site, it is necessary to conduct similar testing at red mud basins to fully understand environmental impacts in this region. He emphasized that the proximity of these two locations means their effects on the environment cannot be considered separately but as part of a complex system of cumulative stressors impacting the area for decades.

“With the direct vicinity of both sites, their impacts on the natural environment cannot be viewed independently; rather, they are part of a complex system of cumulative stresses that have been affecting this region over several decades. Analyzing samples from both locations will allow us to more precisely define the initial or baseline condition of the natural environment, which is crucial for future remediation activities and monitoring their effects,” said Ćulafić.

The data collected, he added, contribute to a better understanding of individual and collective impacts of unregulated waste disposal sites and red mud basins, particularly during periods after remediation measures are implemented. “These actions have a special significance in the context of implementing the reform project for waste management, which has been supported by the World Bank. Given that the start of remediation at the illegal waste site is expected soon, defining this baseline will be crucial for establishing an effective monitoring system and objectively assessing the results of remediation,” he noted.

While data from 2021 exist, a new assessment was deemed necessary as it represents a step forward in resolving property legal issues. “The results from CETI will form the basis for determining how the state will resolve property issues as a prerequisite for remediating red mud basins,” Ćulafić said, adding that this is also an advance toward fulfilling decisions made by the government last December.