The Weekly Report Cornerstone

   WEEK 9 Feb 14th to Feb 20th

   BALKAN ENVIRONMENTAL DISASTER

   Environmental experts believe the cyanide poisoning of the rivers Tisza and Danube is the worst disaster in Europe since the Chernobyl accident in 1986. It has been declared full emergency alert along the entire length of the rivers, since a spill in a gold - mine in Romania. So far 600 kilos of dead fish have been found in the poisoned river, close to the cities Senta Kanjiza and Adad.

   DOWN RIVER

   A cyanide spill that has killed huge numbers of fish in Romania and Hungary reached the first town on the Tisza river in northern Yugoslavia yesterday, officials said.
   An official in Kanjiza, about 145 kilometers north of Belgrade, said local authorities have been warning citizens not to eat fish or use the Tisza water for their animals.
   The cyanide spill has caused major ecological damage in Hungary and Romania, where it originated. A dam at the partially Australian-owned Baia Mare gold mine in Romania overflowed Jan. 30, causing cyanide to pour into the Lapus River and then into the Somes.
   February 15, 16 days after the spill, the poison levels of the Danube, was measured to 30 times the "accepted" danger level.
   The Mining company is categorically refusing to accept any blame.

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   BLOB CLEAN UP COSTS GROWING

   Keeping newly discovered toxic coal tar deposits from oozing into the Thames River in London will cost about $100,000, London Hydro officials learned yesterday. That pushes the latest coal tar cleanup bill to close to $1 million.
   Work began this week on cleaning up a coal tar blob discovered on the river bottom last fall. That cleanup, a joint project involving London Hydro and Ontario's Environment Ministry, was expected to cost about $880,000. By yesterday, more than 400 tons of material had been scooped out from the river bottom. While that work was under way this week, new sources of coal tar were found seeping into the river near the main blob, located in the river near Horton and Ridout streets. One new source of the tar was found leaching into the river about 20 meters upstream of where the bed was being dug out. On Thursday, another smaller source was found about 30 meters to the west. The new site was reported to have dried up, but had been discharging coal tar into the river in the past.
   Ed Jambor, London Hydro's operation manager, said CRA Contracting Services of Waterloo prepared a plan to block the coal tar from seeping into the river. The $100,000 would cover removing all the stone along a section of the north bank of the Thames, excavating the soil along the bank to make sure there's no seepage into the river and installing a trench to cut off any new flow of coal tar to the river.
   The plan will have to be approved by the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority, the Environment Ministry and the Natural Resources Ministry.
   Jambor said he hopes the plan will be ready for review by Monday or Tuesday. If it's approved, work could start as early as Wednesday, he said. He expects the work will take about a week to complete.
   The coal tar, considered an environmental hazard, was buried in deep pits on the site of a former coal gasification plant.

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Entered 2000-02-14

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