Western Balkans Environment Programe

Lojane, Chromium and Antimony Beneficiation Plant and abandoned Mine located near the border with Serbia and Kosovo, Macedonia - The mine was active in the period from 1923 till 1979 and after the cessation of mining activities, complete infrastructure i.e. production facilities (underground workings), beneficiation (flotation and smelting -ore frying) facilities, waste dump and tailings ponds, as much as storage yards, silo's and workshops were abandoned without undertaking any conservation measures thus becoming very dangerous sources of contamination with heavy and toxic metals (As, Hg, Cr6+, Sb). The Mine is identified as one of the industrial contaminated sites - “hot spot” within the National Environmental Action Plan (2006) and the National Plan for Waste Management (2005).

The proposed intervention under this programme is limited to removal of hazardous waste and it will be complementary with cleaning activity in primary hot spot “Bucim”. This intervention is expected to protect kids in a rural primary school, which are right now unacceptably affected by extremely high levels of cancer, and other illnesses due to the air pollution produced by arsenic and other gases emanating from the open damp.