NGO Green Home applauds the ministry’s stance on the need to terminate the contract for the Brskovo mine.
For a long time, Green Home has been pointing out the detrimental effects of this project, and we believe that terminating the contract with the concessionaire is a step in the right direction for the future of Mojkovac and its surrounding area, as well as for Montenegro.
All relevant facts indicate that Montenegro would suffer more harm than benefit from this project, and it is high time to put an end to the idea of reopening this mine.
There are numerous reasons why reopening the Brskovo mine is unacceptable from an environmental perspective. As a reminder, Mojkovac and the Tara River continue to suffer the consequences of the mine that was active 30 years ago. Just a few days ago, we had a concrete example of the discharge of wastewater from the tailings into the Tara River, which is certainly not the first time. Every drop of wastewater that flows into our rivers causes not only environmental damage but also significant economic losses to nature, citizens, and the state.
The polluted environment that would result from the reopening and operation of the mine is not a conducive atmosphere for retaining the population in that town. It is actually a trend for citizens to leave polluted areas in order to preserve their own health and the health of their loved ones. Research indicates that the soil in the broader area is still contaminated with heavy metals as a result of the previous activities of the Brskovo mine.
Halting this project would also mean fulfilling international obligations related to UNESCO, considering that they have already requested impact assessments of this project on the Durmitor National Park from Montenegro.