UNMIK/PR/361
PRISTINA--- The situation at the Trepca Battery Factory Complex in Mitrovica South is under control, and the work was finished yesterday, Tuesday 19 September. The work was done on a 24-hours basis all week by people and resources from KPC, KFOR, UNMIK and international organisations who prevented an environmental disaster which could have contaminated the surrounding areas.
One of the tanks in the complex containing 579,000 litres of sulphuric acid, started leaking on Tuesday 12 September at a rate of up to 500-600 litres per minute. That tank has been emptied. The Department for Civil Security and Emergency Planning decided also to empty three other tanks which they assessed as hazardous. Tank 1 is now completely empty, while the other tanks contain an insignificant amount of acid.
On Wednesday 13th September the pH level in the Sitnica river was dangerously low due to the leaked sulphuric acid (0.09 pH). People were informed not to go near the river and there have been no reports of people being contaminated.
Today the pH values in the Sitnica and Ibar Rivers are almost at the average level: between 7.1 and 7.72. Due to the fact that the contaminated water could have reached the boundary, there was a general alert, in accordance with international agreements.
One of the major tasks was to collect the 600 tons of lime that was used to neutralise the acid. Thanks to good co-operation between the German Federal Technical Rescue Agency’s team working in Pec/Peja and the Department of Civil Security and Emergency Planning, the work was done very fast.
Most of the contaminated water and acid crossing the factory compound was diverted and prevented from pouring into the Sitnica River. A pool was established near the bank of the stream. This reduced the size of the contaminated area and collected the acid spillage in one place to neutralise it.
The Kosovo Protection Corps, KFOR, UNMIK Police, Vucitrn/Vushtrri Fire Brigade, Foam Trucks from Pristina, the German Federal Agency for Technical Relief (THW), a German specialist team from BASF and several departments within UNMIK participated in the emergency work.