The Ministry of Environmental Protection of Serbia has issued a Resolution outlining the scope and content of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Study for the mining part of the “Jadar” project by the international mining company Rio Tinto.
According to this document, Rio Tinto is required to present in detail all potential cumulative environmental impacts of the project in the EIA.
Rio Tinto plans to open a lithium mine in the Jadar river valley in western Serbia. According to earlier announcements, the mine could be opened by 2028, provided the company meets ecological regulations and obtains the necessary permits.
The document published on the Ministry’s website states that for each identified potential impact, the company must provide measures to mitigate them, as well as monitoring systems. The Ministry insists that Rio Tinto provide a detailed explanation of the application of the best available technologies and techniques.
The EIA must be developed based on the main mining project and in accordance with the best practices established by the European Union.
The Ministry’s statement notes that the issued resolution contains strict requirements for the creation of the EIA for this part of the project.
It also mentions that all public comments and opinions received during the consultation process have been thoroughly analyzed during the drafting of the resolution.
The resolution was prepared at the request of the company, and the Ministry stated that it will be available to the public within the next eight days.
Rio Tinto has one year to submit the EIA to the Ministry of Environmental Protection.
This document will also be available to the public through a public consultation procedure. Environmental activists and some citizens are opposed to the opening of the lithium mine, fearing its environmental impact, which has led to a series of protests.
Rio Tinto previously stated in a response to Radio Free Europe that “domestic and international experts have confirmed that the ‘Jadar’ project can be carried out safely and in accordance with the highest environmental protection standards.”
However, many experts, both domestically and internationally, warn that lithium extraction inevitably leads to environmental consequences, particularly river basin and soil pollution.
