Prishtina, 26 November 2009 – The Conference “Improvement and Reclamation of damaged land for a better environment” was organized in Prishtina by the Ministry of Energy and Mining (MEM). Topics of discussion were the current situation of land pollution and measures undertaken to return to the previous state through land reclamation.
 
In addition to the Minister of Energy and Mining, Justina Shiroka-Pula, and Minister of Environment and Spatial Planning, Mahir Yakcilar, the conference was also attended by Deputy Minister of MEM, Blerim Rexha, representatives of the World Bank in Kosovo, UNDP, KfW, KEK, INKOS and foreign and domestic companies.

In the opening of the conference, Minister Pula said that protecting the quality of the environment from inevitable impacts of industrial activities, including energy and mining, is a priority of our institutions. 

She said that environmental issues are being addressed in the scope of the modern legislation applicable in Kosovo, and in implementing European Directives on environment to which Kosovo is committed as signatory party of the Energy Community Treaty.

“Our Government has continuously placed its attention to the environment, though financial resources are insufficient to immediately avoid all inherited negative environmental impacts. For this purpose, we have had, and expect more in the future, the assistance of different institutions, such as, World Bank, European Commission, UNDP, etc,” said Minister Pula. 

Chief of MEM said that environmental hotspots related to the land in Kosovo, and in the scope of MEM sectors, are rehabilitation and reclamation of Bardh and Mirash mining activities, which will soon be entirely depleted, and some other segments inherited from previous activities of Trepça.

Minister Pula, in her concluding remarks, said that the impossible will be done to have in Kosovo a modern monitoring system of land pollution from energy, mining and industrial activities.

On the other hand, the Minister of Environment and Spatial Planning, Mahir Yagcilar, said that MESP remains committed to the development of policies, legal infrastructure and environmental instruments for the accomplishment of our objectives to the a sustainable improvement of the environment.
According to him, to date, MESP has addressed the key environmental problems, prepared the necessary strategic documents and is finalizing the completion of the other sectorial strategies, which are necessary for resolving environmental problems.
“Among the key issues impacting on Kosovo’s environment, MESP has treated the most impacted environmental points, currently known as environmental hot spots in international terminology. MESP experts, always in cooperation with other ministries and institutions, have addressed this priority issue, and treated it through its plans and projects”, stated Yagcilar.

He further noted that MESP, through its Kosovo Environment Protection Agency, recorded around 110 potential hotspots, and has asserted that the most polluted industrial zones include Mitrovica – the Stan Terg area, Obiliq – KEK activities, Drenas – Ferronikel activities, Kishnica, Artana and Hani i Elezit.

Further, Ilir Morina, the Head of the Kosovo Environment Protection Agency presented the pollution hotspots identified in Kosovo.
In listing the main polluters, he made not of the Trepca complex, KEK, Deva Mine, Hani i Elezit Cement Factory, Bauxite mine in Volljake, which directly impact on air, soil and water pollution.