Adverse Impact of the Historic Mining Activities on the Enviroment in Malé Karpaty

During 1999 – 2001 the Ministry of the Environment of the Slovak Republic has financed the geological work „Evaluation of the Adverse Impact of Mining Activities on the Environment in the Region of Malé Karpaty“. Results and recommendations of the work in this contribution are discussed.Mineral resources, such as pyrit – pyrhotite deposits, hydrothermal metal ore deposits (Au – Ag, pyrit – Cu, Pb – Ag, Zn, Sb), hydrothermal deposits of barytes and manganesian ore deposits are situated in mining districts of Malé Karpaty. The exploitation of these deposits has been already finished. The deposits of limestone, building stones, earth and clay were or are quarried. The underground mined deposits were divided into 6 mining districts: Kuchyòa, Pernek, Pezinok, Modra, Èastá, and Borinka – Jabloòové. The impact of surface and underground mining on the environment was examined on 353 underground mining object and 117 quarries.The most important processes were studied: pollution of surface and groundwaters, soils and sediments, normal radioactivity of land, degradation of lands, ecological stability, disturbance of the ground, contemporary land-use influence, adverse effects on rocks, flora and fauna, and atmosphere. The mining waste disposals, underground mining works and mining objects, and quarries were investigated.According to the intensity of adverse impact on the environment, the mining objects in the region of Malé Karpaty were divided into 4 groups. Fifty seven mining objects and 87 quarries were recommended to the remedial treatment.The implementation of nature protection measures will eliminate or considerably reduce the damage done to the environment.Proposal of methodics for evaluation of the adverse impact of mining activities on the environment was elaborated as a part of the geological work.