The Regulation on Mining Waste ("Regulation") was published in Official Gazette numbered 29417 on 15 July 2015. The Regulation's effective date is set as 15 July 2016. The scope of the Regulation is the necessary process to manage the mining waste arising from exploration, extraction, enrichment or mine storage activities. The striking development along with the new Regulation may be deemed as authorisation of non-hazardous and inert waste to be disposed at sea under explicit conditions:

  1. Non-hazardous or inert waste may only be disposed merely to the oxygen-free layers of Black-Sea that does not contain living.
  2. There should be no suitable geographical, topographical and geological zone available within the 30 km from the centre where mine is operated.

For disposing mining waste at sea, mine operators shall pursue a license procedure regulated under the Regulation:

  1. A scientific report shall be prepared and submitted to the Ministry of Environment and Urbanisation by Faculty of Marine Sciences which shall include the consequences of such disposing to the sea-water quality and marine ecology. In order to issue such scientific report a detail fieldwork shall be concluded with regard to hydrodynamic conditions such as the sea-water density calculation and stream.
  2. Specialization Commission consisted of member of Ministry of Environment and Urbanisation, Scientific and Technological Research Institution, Faculty of Marine Sciences assesses the scientific report.
  3. Evaluation Commission consisted of experts from various ministries assesses the Specialization Commission assessment, and issues the final decision with regard to disposal at sea.
  4. Mining operator shall apply for an environmental license with the final decision.

The new Regulation allows mining operators to dispose the mining waste at Black-sea alongside lands under certain conditions as below-mentioned. This Regulation determines the general principles of waste management in line with Mining Waste Directive No. 2006/21/EC.

Originally published September 2015

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