Damage from Spanish mine spill may be limited

The mining company says it is not to blame for the disaster

May 16, 1998
Web posted at: 9:48 p.m. EDT (0148 GMT)

From Reporter Al Goodman

DONANA NATIONAL PARK, Spain (CNN) -- In April, when a dam holding back mining wastes broke and sent a toxic deluge cascading through the Spanish countryside, there were fears of an ecological catastrophe.

But now, some experts say they are optimistic that the damage from the dam failure will be limited, especially at Donana National Park, one of Spain's most treasured ecological jewels.

CNN's Al Goodman reports 2 min. VXtreme video
	2.9 M / 52 sec. / 240x180 1.8 M / 52 sec. / 160x120 QuickTime movie

"Donana will not disappear. Donana will not be wiped off the map. It's hardly been damaged so far. It's going to be here," park spokesman Alberto Ruiz said.

Donana is to Spain what Yosemite is to the United States: It is home to rare wildlife and is a key stop for migratory birds.

However, scientists say it could take years to see the full impact of the spill, and environmentalists are still worried.

"It's too early to say that the park is saved," said Eva Hernandez of Greenpeace. "You must remember that we're talking about 5 million cubic meters of toxic waste."

The cleanup is going slowly. The Canadian-controlled mining company, Boliden, says it is not to blame for the disaster, but has pledged millions to help pay for ruined crops in the farming region.

The government has pledged even more financial aid, and estimates are that the final price tag could reach $100 million.

Farmers aren't the only ones affected. Hotel operators also fear that the spill and cleanup will affect tourism.

The cleanup will take at least three months, and authorities have forced hundreds of thousands of people on an annual Roman Catholic pilgrimage to change their route to avoid the polluted area.

Related stories:

• Spain averts toxic spill at nature park - April 26, 1998
• EPA plan to post chemical storage site data on Web draws fire - April 25, 1998
• Ship paints may lead to sea otter deaths - April 14, 1998
• Oil spill's effect on sea otters studied - November 25, 1997
• Report: Public to get online access to factory-pollution data - August 12, 1997

Related sites:

Note: Pages will open in a new browser window

• Do–ana National Park
• Do–ana National Park
• Do–ana National Park
• The Ecosytems Of Donana National Park
• GORP - Outdoor Spain - Ordesa, Montana de Covadonga, & Donana National Parks
• National Parks of Spain
• WWF:Climate Change:Parks at Risk:Report:International:Europe:Do–ana
• Greenpeace International

External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.

---

 

---

Sound off on our message boards & chat