Barren soil and heavy metals from "Šuplja stijena" mine pollute, through Ćehotina river, Drina river whose water citizens of Goražde use for drink !

Recent transportation of toxic agents, which were kept for years in shack of "Šuplja stijena" mining flotation in Gradac near Pljevlja, to Lead and Zinc Mine in Gornji Milanovac embittered ecologists.

"Breznica" warns that that part of Montenegro is still on the verge of ecological catastrophe, quoting that there is barren soil dump of 18 ha, located next to flotation, with 3.5m tons of toxic agents, which are located in the vicinity of the Ćehotina river and primary school. After the mine was closed back in 2000, toxic cyanide, copper-sulfate and other reagents were stored in the shack easy to access almost without any protection. These chemicals belong to the category of poisons. Previous researches on flotation barren soil dump of Pljevlja-based mine, in 1982 and 1986, in the time when the Mine was still in operation, showed presence of increased content of heavy metals, especially lead and zinc, which was the result of low level of ore exploitation in technological process. Unauthorized use of flotation barren soil in 2002 let to collapse of part of dam turned to Gradac settlement. Back in 2003, authorized Ministry elaborated the project for rehabilitation of flotation barren soil dump rich with heavy metals.

Because of barren soil dump, the Ćehotina river, right tributary to the Drina river, pollutes the water citizens of Goražde use as drinking water! That water is processed only in mechanical way and it is of very poor quality. So far, not one analysis of presence of heavy metals have been carried out.