Is health of people in Serbia worthier than USD 1 billion - In whose interest is announced nickel exploitation?

A statement by Serbian Mining Minister Milan Bacevic that a foreign company is interested in investing about EUR 1.2 billion in nickel exploration and processing in Serbia has caused a flood of comments. The main impression is that either the minister is not familiar with what nickel processing involves, so he does not know what such investment would bring, or these "foreigners" are, actually, local businessmen whose interest is more important than the interest of citizens.

Namely, one doesn't have to be a big expert to know that nickel exploitation is exclusively carried out far away from inhabited areas. Otherwise, it seriosly endangers people's health.

According to that statement by Minister Bacevic, exploitation would be carried at three locations - on the territory of Topola, where works are already underway, in the border area between Vrnjacka Banja and Trstenik, and in the area between Mokra Gora and the Republic of Srpska. What makes his statement even more serious is the fact that Bacevic stressed that he, as a minister, "will help them (the interested company) initiate that exploration procedure with as few obstacles as possible".

Without revealing the name of the company, Bacevic said it possessed the right to explore nickel deposits in Serbia, adding that the company had so far completed a major portion of the work and was currently in the process of purchasing new documentation for other exploration fields in Serbia.

All data and experiences from the locations where nickel exploitation is done point to a devastating impact on the health of people living within the radius of 100 kilometers from exploitation sites. This is how film director Emir Kusturica reacts to Bacevic's aforementioned statement.

- Some people may be of the opinion that it is better to be dead than poor, maybe this crisis is seen as panic, with the only way to survive being to start big businesses - said Emir Kusturica, the film director who had the ethnic village Drvengrad built in Mokra Gora, in the vicinity of which one of the mentioned exploitation sites is situated.

- If the exploitation begins in Arandjelovac, there will be no life in Ljig. If it starts in Mokra Gora and somebody earns tens of millions of US dollars on nickel, there will be no more Zlatibor or Uzice - Kusturica warned.

(Emir Kusturica and Milan Bacevic)

In an open letter to Minister Bacevic, published in today's issue of Novosti, he wrote the following:

"Dear Mr. Bacevic! This is why it is not possible to meet the demands of the powerful firm Srbija Nikl, behind which is European Nikl, the same company we expelled from the territory of Serbia in 2005-2006 (about which eKapija wrote regularly), and why civilizational reasons force us to act responsibly towards our country. Responsibility is not solely a psychological, moral category. It can also be used to measure the level of our civility!

All available data about nickel mines show us that within the radius of 50 to 100 km from the place where sulfuric acid is used to separate this ore from waste, people get sick, while an international cancer research agency, Mr. Bacevic, puts nickel in the 1A group of cancerogenic substances because it causes nose, sinus cavity and throat cancer. It can enter a human body through water, food or air.

Nickel mining is a luxury that some large countries can afford by sacrificing certain territories. Serbia is not one of them. All the tension around the idea of Serbia committing suicide in 2005 by granting a nickel mining concession to European Nikl was symbolically ended with a meeting between Vojislav Kostunica, prime minister at the time, and the English ambassador. Just like all other brokers who were visiting local communities in Serbia to assure our people that the separation of nickel ore from waste is harmless, this Englishman told our prime minister that no harm would be done, citing the example of Turkey, which has nickel mines. He also said that tomato can be grown right next to such mines!? I then believed it was some sort of nickel-coated tomato! Vojislav Kostunica answered this silver-tongued ambassador with a question: "And why don't you do that in Wales then?"

I cannot see any reason, Mr. Bacevic, for you not to ask experts at SANU for advice on such large undertakings like mines. They fought a decisive theoretical battle against nickel mining at the time I mentioned above and, thank God, they triumphed together with all those who believe that it is better to be alive than dead and that the responsibility towards life and health is also a primary obligation towards citizens and history."

The daily newspaper Blic cites reliable sources as saying that Ana Kolarevic, Milo Djukanovic's sister, stands behind the company Srbija Nikl (Serbia Nickel).

- Aside from Ana Kolarevic, there is also Radomir Vukcevic, former professor at a metallurgy faculty in Australia. He is also a representative of the company BHP Biliton, which holds a stake in European Nikl (European Nickel) - the newspaper quotes the source as explaining.

DODIK: Republic of Srpska is not included in the exploitation plan

President of the Republic of Srpska Milorad Dodik denied yesterday that Srpska was involved in any procedure related to nickel exploitation, expressing a belief that it would do more harm than good.

Dodik stated that the first things to care about must be environment preservation and people's health.

- Nickel exploitation could only benefit some companies, but it would negatively affect the complete microclimate and living conditions on and around exploitation sites - said Dodik.

USD 17,000 for tonne of ore

The price of nickel on the world's largest non-ferrous metal exchange in London currently ranges between 17,000 and 17,300 US dollars per metric tonne, depending on the date of delivery.