Overview of existing information on important closed (or in closing phase) and abandoned mining waste sites and related mines in Slovenia

Abstract

The presented work provides a comprehensive inventory of data on closed (or in closing phase) and abandoned underground and surface mines and mining waste sites in Slovenia, collected within the framework of the Geological Survey of Slovenia (GeoZS) over the last two decades. Furthermore, a detailed overview of information on closed and abandoned mining waste sites in Slovenia is given. In order to establish the inventory, a definition of the work methodology, a comprehensive research of the archived and published literature, and the harmonisation and management of the collected data was carried out. Based on a selected methodology, the inventory contains information on 33 metal mines, 43 coal mines, 51 non-metallic mineral resource mines, 156 waste sites from metal mines and 18 waste sites from coal mines. The inventory is in the open access Google Earth file. It provides a basis for further research into the environmental impact of mining waste, which has been carried out since the EU Directive on the management of waste from extractive industries (Directive 2006/21/EC hereafter) was adopted into national law. In general, about 11,621,333 m3 of waste sites from metal mines and 76,188,000 m3 of waste sites from coal mines are covering about 678 hectares of Slovenian territory. More than half (64 %) of the waste from metal mines was produced in the Mežica lead and zinc mine, while the other two mines with a still significant share of produced waste were the Idrija mercury mine (18 %) and the Žirovski vrh uranium mine (15 %). Among the closed coal mines, the largest amount (46 %) of waste was generated by the coal mine Trbovlje-Hrastnik, while the other two coal mines with still significant share of waste produced were Kočevje (28 %) and Kanižarica (17 %).