Radovish, 28 January 2022 – With regard to specific accusations which have been made publicly and more general allegations of pollution at the artificial lake Mantovo as a result of the activities of the Borov Dol mine, the company would like to make the following statement:
On December 28, 2021, expert teams from the mine, together with the competent authorities from the SEI and professors from UGD-Shtip, collected samples from the soil and water from the artificial lake Mantovo. They submitted these samples to an accredited laboratory for detailed examinations. During the field inspection, no water leakage was found from the mine in the artificial lake Mantovo, nor was any dust found in the air.
The air quality in the vicinity of the Borov Dol mine is monitored at two measuring stations through 24-hour indicative measurements of PM10 particles, at the measuring location Mantovo and measuring location Damjan. So far, the limit for air quality values has not been exceeded. Real-time air quality monitoring data are publicly available at the following link: http://coppermine.ugd.edu.mk/Station.aspx?Station=18.
On December 29, 2021, by an accredited environmental laboratory, in the presence of competent authorities from the SEI, samples were collected again from the waters of the artificial lake Mantovo and submitted to a laboratory to determine the water quality. At the same time, a sample of stone deposited with blue and green particles was taken and submitted for examination by the Institute of Biology at the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics-UKIM.
From the performed examinations of the submitted samples of the water in Mantovo, the analyses showed the samples collected did not exceed the limit values. There is no presence of potentially harmful chemicals from the activities of the Borov Dol mine in the water of the artificial lake Mantovo. The intense change to the color of the water and the subsequent accumulation and coloring of the shore of the Mantovo dam are both due to the massive development of cyanobacteria. More precisely, a type of blue-green algae named Aphanizomenon klebahnii.
The expert opinion of the Institute of Biology is that this phenomenon poses a threat to the entire ecosystem, as well as to people who use the Mantovo Reservoir for various purposes. Further detailed studies are needed to identify the causes of these algae. The Borov Dol mine will provide detailed studies in order to determine the cause, as well as provide support to the Municipality of Konce in solving its current, most pressing environmental problems. At the same time, in cooperation with the Municipality of Konce, an environmental action will be organized to clean the shore of the artificial lake Mantovo , as well as the weekend settlement at lake Mantovo, for waste disposal and to improve the environmental condition of the surrounding area.
“We strive to ensure social, environmental and economic development in the interest of current generations that preserve values for future generations.We behave responsibly towards the environment and the society in which we work. The mine is built in accordance with modern best technologies and in our current activities we use the best available techniques and practices. We have established a system that enables us to constantly monitor the impacts on the environment and we operate in full compliance with all legal norms and regulations for environmental protection in North Macedonia, ” added Ivica Karapetrov, acting General Manager of Borov Dol.
In addition, we submit the opinions of the State Inspectorate for the Environment:
Link to the published minutes from the SEI from the first performed inspection :
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=338996311402072&id=105140678120971
Link to the published minutes from the SEI from the second performed inspection:
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=339562208012149&id=105140678120971
Link to the published conclusion of the SEI from the results of the performed analyses:
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=223557949967884&id=100069410400559