30 September 2024

Residents are afraid of the environmental impact, particularly on water sources in the predominantly agricultural region around Lopare, but authorities...have already made legislative changes to pave the way for the mine...

In Bosnia, Republika Srpska officials have hailed mining projects such as the one in Lopare as a magic wand for the cash-strapped region, providing new jobs and tax revenues...Residents, however, say that time and again authorities have proven themselves woefully ill-equipped to monitor the environmental fallout...

In July this year, the government in Republika Srpska amended its Law on Geological Exploration, leaving local authorities – critics say – with no meaningful influence over decisions taken regarding mining projects on their territory.

AFP quoted Lopare mayor Rado Savic as saying the majority of local residents are against the mine.

“People are afraid of leaks of toxic materials,” Savic said. At least two residents say their wells dried up following drilling by Arcore during the exploration phase...

Arcore says the mineral deposits in Lopare are located relatively close to the surface and so will be extracted by open-pit mining “over a period of about 50 years”. Environmentalists say open-pit extraction is highly polluting, but Rudic told AFP that the mining operation would be “absolutely controlled”...