The Danube's menacing industrial legacy

Felicia Jenkins

10/22/10

10:31Am

The Danube's menacing industrial legacy

With the collapse of part of the retaining wall in Hungry the European Union has a new batch of concerns about polluting the Danube River. The Danube runs through the former Communist countries in Eastern Europe that have been known to have unsafe chemical plants and mines that could cause even more damage than the red sludge (aluminum oxide) that is currently polluting Hungary. The European Union and several environmental groups have compiled a list of hundreds of unsafe chemical plants, refineries and mine smelters that still exists from the communist era along the watershed of the Danube River. The majority of these plants are owned by Ajkai which was created by the communist- Hungarian block during in the 1940s. But was later privatized; these plants have not updated their infrastructure. With the privatization of these plants there was little updating of the infrastructure or the plants were abandoned by their owners. In Hungary alone there are over 1700 plants that are operating and abandoned that are potential hazards to the land and environment and people. It is now feared that there could be hundred more unsafe chemical plants that have been hidden due to corruption in some countries. Many of these plants have potentially toxic wastes that leaking into the ground and watershed.

It is baffling to me to find that there are so many unsafe chemical plants in Eastern Europe. Yes, we are all aware that for the right price or incentives many officials will look the other way and pretend not to notice what is going on. At the same time people are constantly surrounded by these chemicals. Has there been an increase in chronic and terminal human diseases such as cancers? Perhaps gene mutations or birth defects in the children? This in turn lowers life expectancy and causes people to spend more money on health care as well. And what about the farming communities? People are growing food and consuming potentially unsafe food. This food is consumed not only by local people but exported as well. What would happen if another plant collapses? Hopefully we won’t have to find out anytime soon.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/europe/the-danubes-menacing-industrial-legacy/article1759897/