Maria LAZĂR, Izabela-Maria NYARI & Florin G. FAUR
University of Petrosani, Faculty of Mining, Department of Management, Environmental Engineering and Geology, 332006, University Str., no. 20, Petroasni, Romania, E-mail: marialazar@upet.ro, faurfloring@yahoo.com

METHODOLOGY FOR ASSESSING THE ENVIRONMENTAL RISK DUE TO MINING WASTE DUMPS SLIDING - CASE STUDY OF JIU VALLEY

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Starting from the necessity to ensure the physical stability of waste dumps and the protection of the natural and anthropogenic components of the environment situated in their vicinity, the paper presents a general and uniform methodology for assessing the environmental risk associated to waste dumps slides. For this purpose a case study on active waste dumps from Jiu Valley was chosen. Given the fact that the risk is defined as the product between vulnerability (in this case, the vulnerability of natural and anthropogenic components of the environment situated in the influence area of waste dumps) and the probability of an undesirable phenomenon (in this case, waste dumps sliding), the problem of determining the two key factors needed to solve the proposed theme was in question. To assess the vulnerability of natural and anthropogenic components of the environment it was started from waste dumps classification according to current legislation. This classification was completed and turned in to an assessment matrix that depends on the technical condition of the waste dumps. The probability of sliding was determined using classical and probabilistic methods of slope stability evaluation and the risk scale was defined for five risk categories, from minimal to extreme, with explanation for each interval. The advantage of the proposed methodology is that it provides data on the probability of sliding and not just a value at some given time of the stability reserve, relying on the values of physical and mechanical properties of the deposited material in various stages of construction of the waste dump. It can be considered that the proposed methodology can be successfully generalized and used for waste deposits that are under construction and/or in closure stages. By determining the environmental risk it is possible to establish the necessary measures to prevent the occurrence of landslides, which could have serious consequences on the natural and anthropogenic components of the environment present in adjacent areas.