Permalink: https://media.greenpeace.org/archive/Mining-Pit-Silver-Lake-in-Germany-27MZIFIVJ89L.htmlConceptually similarMining Pit Silver Lake in GermanyGP02T2DCompleted★★★★Mining Pit Silver Lake in GermanyGP02T2CCompleted★★★★Mining Pit Silver Lake in GermanyGP02T2ACompleted★★★★Mining Pit Silver Lake in GermanyGP02T2BCompleted★★★★Beluga Toxics Tour on River ElbeGP0O25Completed★★★★Action against Lignite Mining in GermanyGP039JMCompleted★★★★Action against Lignite Mining in GermanyGP039JPCompleted★★★★Action against Lignite Mining in GermanyGP039JRCompleted★★★★Petition against Lignite Mining in GermanyGP03ACTCompleted★★★★View AllGP02T2EMining Pit Silver Lake in GermanyCovering of the "Silver Lake" near Wolfen with a biological filter. The "Silver Lake" is an abandoned strip mining pit that has not been sealed and it contains large amounts of mercury.In original language:Abdeckung des "Silbersee"Abdeckung des "Silbersee" mit Biokontaktfiltern. Der "Silbersee" bei Wolfen ist hochgradig mit Quecksilber verseucht.Locations:Europe-Germany-WolfenDate:5 Oct, 1995Credit:© Paul Langrock / GreenpeaceMaximum size:5300px X 3508pxKeywords:Actions and protests-Day-Greenpeace activists-KWCI (GPI)-Lakes-Mercury (Metal)-Mines-Open-pit mining-Outdoors-Toxics (campaign title)-Trees-Two people-Water pollutionShoot:Mining Pit Silver Lake in GermanyThe "Silver Lake" is an environmental scandal without precedence. It is a strip mining pit that has not been sealed and that is presumably in contact with the groundwater. This pit serves literally as the sedimentation basin for untreated water from pulp and viscose production in Wolfen before it flows into the Spittel and subsequently the Mulde. Since chlorine bleaching is used in Wolfen, it seemed reasonable to assume that deposits in the sludge of the pit included dioxins and other chlorinated hydrocarbons. Therefore, Greenpeace took a sludge sample and had it analysed: At 25 to 70 nanograms of dioxin (expressed as the toxicity equivalent, TE) per kilogram dry substance, the sludge does contain increased amounts of dioxin but not of the order that would alone require an immediate cleanup. The same is true for the chlorobenzenes and chlorophenols. Nevertheless, these loads must certainly be taken seriously. The heavy metal content (zinc, lead, arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, nickel and mercury) of the "Silver Lake", however, currently calls to mindthat of a coal mine and should be immediately eliminated.
