11
September 2008 - By Steen Voigt - Almost
20 years after the closure of the lead and
zinc mine at Maarmorilik in the municipality
of Uummannaq in North West Greenland pollution
of surrounding fiords and land stretches
with the metals continues, all though in
a much lesser degree than earlier. This
shows a new report by the Danish National
Environmental Research Institute (NERI),
University of Aarhus. NERI is in charge
of the ongoing environmental monitoring
of the area. The Greenland Homerule finances
the monitoring through its Bureau of Minerals
and Petroleum.
Environmental studies
have been conducted at the mine since 1972
by monitoring lead and zinc in seawater,
sediments and biota in the fiords at Maarmorilik.
Studies of the benthic fauna have also been
carried out. The report ”Environmental monitoring
af the lead-zinc mine in Maarmorilik, Nortwest
Greenland, 2007” presents the results of
studies conducted in 2007 and assesses the
state of the environment in the area. The
results are compared with data collected
from 1972 to 2005.
The pollution of seawater
has changed drastically though since the
mine was closed in 11000. Only very small
amounts of lead is presently released from
settled tailings and waste rock in the fiord
Affarlikassaa. Equally is zinc still released,
but clearly less than when mining took place.
For example: In the bottom water of the
fiord, the lead concentration was about
1,000 times lower and the zinc concentration
about six times lower in 2007 than in 1988-1989.
The elevated lead concentrations
found in the fiords at Maarmorilik have
been a cause of concern for public health,
but lead concentrations found in 2007 are
below guidelines set to protect human health,
except for blue mussels. Due to still elevated
and high lead concentrations of blue mussels
in the fiords Affarlikassaa and Qaamarujuk
and the land stretches just west of the
fiords, consumption of blue mussels from
these localities it is recommended not to
collect and eat blue mussels from here.
The mining company ”Black
Angel Company Ltd.” is to reopen the mine
at Maarmorilik and start operations in 2009.
The view from the mine entrance in the mountain
- “The Black Angel”, 600 m. above sea level
– towards the former mine town Maarmorilik,
the fiord Qaamarujuk and the open sea. The
mine stretches from this point for four
kilometers into the mountain behind. When
the mine was in operation this entrance
was linked to Maarmorilik with a cable car
with a single span of 1,500m above the fjord.
Foto: Black Angel Mining Ltd. ©
Senior researcher Poul Johansen, NERI, says:
“The environmental studies
conducted in 2007 show that pollution sources
still exist at Maarmorilik 17 years after
mine closure in 11000. However, over a number
of years lead and zinc levels in seawater
and biota have decreased, in particular
after the mine closed, and the area affected
by pollution has become smaller and smaller.
It is now primarily in Affarlikassaa and
Qaamajuruk, an impact can be seen.”
The mine at Maarmorilik
is by the way to be reopened. The mining
company “Black Angel Mining Ltd.” has obtained
licence from the Greenland Homerule to mine
in the area and expects to start operations
in 2009.
