Reduction of the impact of ash dump site on the environment

Mechanical deposition of ash from ash and water slurry is done at dump site, resulting in overflow and drainage waste water discharged into the river Sava at TENT A. At TENT B dump site, thanks to the reduced amount of water for ash transport, since February 2011, overflow and drainage waste waters have not been doscharged into the Vukicevica stream any more, but they are used to spray dry beaches and banks.

Besides the impact on water pollution, the dump are surface source of air pollution by ash particles. Due to unfavorable physical and chemical characteristics of ash and existing way of ash disposal, at open dumps, with dry and windy weather comes to wind erosion of ash. In accordance with the existing technology of ash transport and disposal, in order to prevent wind erosion of ash from the dumps, the following protection measures are applied:

1. Biological recultivation – is performed on the basis of „Main Design of biological recultivation of ash and slag dumps at TENT A and TENT B" and it involves formation of bio-cover and forest plantations through appropriate agricultural measures.

- Sowing of perennial grasses mixtures (grass cover – biocover with its own vegetative mass protects the surface from wind erosion and meliorates the surface biologically).

- Afforestation of banks – planting of bushes and trees (locally reduces the impact of winds and the transport of suspended particles).

In the border area, there is a poplar windbreak belt around both dumps.

2. Maintenance of water mirror (pond) – maximum surface per project is approximately 60% compared to the surface of active cassette.

3. Spraying of beaches, surfaces between pond and bank on active cassette which are not covered by water mirror, is done by water cannons.

4. Spraying of newly built banks – dry surfaces of newly built banks and grass planted on active cassette is done by sprinkler system.

Biological recultivation of ash dump

Sowing

Sowing of grass seed mixture is performed on the banks and it consists of annual supporting crops and perennial grasses:

Within regular activities of biological recultivation in the spring period of 2012 the following was performed:

- TENT А – grass sowing on the surface of 4,1ha on the flat part of the cassette II around the overflow pillar and 8,7ha bank

- TENT B - grass sowing on the surface of 5,4ha on the newly built embankments.

Technical supervision of sowing and fertilization is done by the Institute for soil Belgrade and the execution of works is done by PROTENT.

Planting

Bushy and woody species are planted on the outer slopes of the banks around the dump. The species with the lowest requirements in relation to the environmental conditions should be selected. The priority is given to decidious trees, in terms of effective hygiene, beside that coniferous tree species in most cases cannot succeed in alkaline environment such as ash.

Within regular activities of biological recultivation in the spring period of 2012 the following was performed:

- ТЕNТ А - 18 700 cuttings of tamarisk on the slopes of perimeter banks

- ТЕNТ B - 94 300 cuttings of tamarisk on the slopes of perimeter banks