WATERNORM · Monitoring and mitigation of mine water impact in Upper Silesia region? increasing of research and development potential in Central Mining Institute
FP6 — Marie Curie Actions (Human Resources and Mobility)
- Duration
- 2004-09-01 → 2008-08-31
- EU contribution
- €895,020
- Participants
- 8
- Scheme
- TOK
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Results in brief
Final Activity Report Summary - WATERNORM (Monitoring and mitigation of mine water impact in Upper Silesia region - Increasing of research and development potential in Central Mining Institute)
The project focused on the following topic "Monitoring and mitigation of mine water impact in Upper Silesia region - increasing of research and development potential in Central Mining Institute". The project has been financed by EU within FP6 as an international co-operation project, within the frame of Marie Curie Host Fellowships for the Transfer of Knowledge - ToK. The main reasons that the Central Mining Institute applied for such a project were following: Due to EU policy research and development should be performed in outstanding units, therefore we wanted to improve quality of our investigations by co-operation with renown scientists and transfer of knowledge among twining centres. Central Mining Institute wanted to increase its ability for international co-operation. The WATERNORM project has been prepared in that way to effectively use obtained resources for recruitment of foreign scientists and for training own scientists in partner institutes. 25 scientists were recruited to participate in research activities and for training of Polish colleagues in the Central Mining Institute in the period 2004-2008. Within the same period 12 Polish scientists have been sent abroad for training in twinning centres. Main priorities of the project were as follows: I. Hydrogeological hazards, caused by mining. II. Prevention of radioactive contamination of the natural environment, caused by release of mine waters. III. Protection of surface waters in mining areas. IV. Modern methods of environmental monitoring in mining areas. V. Technologies of waste disposal and re-use. VI.Interdisciplinary investigations and supporting measures. Important milestones of the Project: participation of foreign experts in research and development activities in the Central Mining Institute. Training, received by Polish scientists in twinning centres and transfer of knowledge by secondment. Visits in twinning centres to strengthen co-operation. Organisation of conferences, workshops and other meetings. Improvement of language skills. Effects of the project were important - more than 30 publications in international journals, many papers in national journals and at conferences, several joint projects, resulting from co-operation within WATERNORM. Therefore we would like to point out, that very important outcome of the project is the increase of research and development potential of the Central Mining Institute.
Data: CORDIS, © European Union
Project objective
Water is one of the most important substances for human beings. Therefore, the best possible knowledge about its pollution and mitigation measures is crucial, either to assure the safety of its consumption or to undertake countermeasures in case of exceeded levels for undesired and non-permitted pollutants.Especially in the Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) the environmental heritage of the past activities is enormous due to the past focusing of the economy of these countries on development of heavy industries like mining and smelting, while environmental issues have been left behind.Environmental protection, remediation and reclamation in areas, which are heavy industrialised but also densely populated, has a very big importance. Very specific aspect of the contamination, caused by mining, is technologically enhanced naturally occurring radioactivity (TENORM) of waste materials.Upper Silesia is an example of a densely populated, urban and industrial district in southern Poland. A strong impact of underground mining (mainly coal and metal ores) on the pollution of the natural environment can be clearly seen in the region.Release of saline mine waters from mines, disposal of spoils on surface piles, diffusion of pollutants from settling ponds lead to the contamination of surface waters and groundwater in the region. Central Mining Institute (GIG) is the main institute in Poland, investigating such problems. Despite the experience, gathered by our scientists in past years, the unification with EU became a big challenge.One of the important goals of the WATERNORM project will be to consolidate and advance our knowledge and competence in the environmental science, that are not only essential for the safe use of water resources, but very important in maintaining and management of mining activities.The research will also contribute to the harmonised implementation of the EU regulations in the area of environmental protection.
Original text from CORDIS.
Participants
- GLOWNY INSTYTUT GORNICTWA · KATOWICECoordinatorCity levelPoland
- BRITISH GEOLOGICAL SURVEY ENVIRONMENT 1 HAZARDS DIRECTORATE OF NATURAL ENVIRONMENT RESEARCH COUNCIL NERC · SWINDONCity levelUnited Kingdom
- COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES - DIRECTORATE GENERAL JOINT RESEARCH CENTRE · BRUSSELSBelgium
- GESELLSCHAFT FUER ANLAGEN- UND REAKTORSICHERHEIT (GRS) MBH · KOELNGermany
- NATIONAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE FOR RADIOHYGIENE AND RADIOBIOLOGY · BUDAPESTCity levelHungary
- SATEILYTURVAKESKUS - RADIATION AND NUCLEAR SAFETY AUTHORITY · HELSINKIFinland
- UNIVERSITY OF NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE · NEWCASTLE UPON TYNEUnited Kingdom
- WISMUT GMBH · CHEMNITZCity levelGermany
Links
Data: CORDIS, © European Union