History of the Project<\/span><\/h1>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>In this section you can consult the project milestones.<\/span><\/h4>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>2017<\/h2>\n\n- The project starts in September 2017. The approval of the project by the European Commission is received as an excellent new which has a relevant press, radio and TV broadcast. One of the inauguration acts was a meeting in La Soterra\u00f1a site with neighbours of the nearest village to the site, Mu\u00f1\u00f3n Cimero. Later, in October 2017 the project is presented in the LIFE Kick-off Meeting in Brussels.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>
\n- In December 2017 the necessary permits for the preparatory works are requested from the Le Council. The authorization will not be able until a year later. Unfortunately, the complex application of the Spanish legislation was one of the main problems during the project causing important delays.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>
![](\"http:\/\/www.unioviedo.es\/SUBproducts4LIFE\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/WhatsApp-Image-2021-05-14-at-14.48.37.jpeg\" "\\"WhatsApp")
<\/span>Presentation of the project in the LIFE projects kick-off meeting in Brussels<\/p>\n<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>2018<\/h2>\n\n- In March 2018 the necessary permits for the main works (pilot cases) are requested from the Principality of Asturias (PRAS). The authorization will not be able until two years later.<\/li>\n
- The activities progress during 2018 can be summarized in a simple sentence: practically the 100% in all the actions that only depend on the project partnership, e.g. elaboration of technical documentation, mapping etc., previous campaigns to take soil and water samples, creation of the website and other diffusion materials, etc. were completed.<\/li>\n
- Related to the development of pilot cases, the project partnership exploited all the possibilities and carried out every action to acquire the licenses and authorizations from the pertinent public bodies at a local (Council of Lena, AYTOLENA) and regional level (Principality of Asturias, PRAS), but implementation actions could not begin due to the delay in the authorisation.<\/li>\n
- In the project case, the delay is even more complicated due to the differences between the activities strictly considered by the law and the innovative actions that SUBproducts4LIFE aims to test and carry out.<\/li>\n
- An important part of the problem is that some national laws (e.g. Spanish law) find this project hard to classify. Although the law regulates how to deposit the \u201cpolluted waste\u201d into \u201cclean areas\u201d, the case of SUBproducts4LIFE does exactly the contrary action: clean materials on a polluted area.<\/li>\n
- The project will act close to a large mining waste disposal considering the law related to mining waste. However, PRAS found that a specific demolition waste considered in Pilot Case 2 (Action B2) should be treated according to the general law of industrial waste.<\/li>\n
- On the other hand, two different types of materials will be used, with different management requirements: industrial subproducts (gypsum and blast furnace slag) and industrial waste (coal ash and steelmaking slag). These aspects add complexity to the project. In this way, the authorities are currently being collaborative and are trying to find a way to solve discrepancies.<\/li>\n
- The local press published a new giving details about the delays and its negative effects for the project.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
![](\"http:\/\/www.unioviedo.es\/SUBproducts4LIFE\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/ima1-2018.png\" "\\"ima1")
<\/span>\n- In the framework of typical dissemination activities of the SUBproducts4LIFE, in February 2018 the coordinator Uniovi and the beneficiary Biosfera participated in a meeting with neighbours of the village Mu\u00f1\u00f3n Cimero the nearest village to La Soterra\u00f1a site.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>
![](\"http:\/\/www.unioviedo.es\/SUBproducts4LIFE\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/dasfasds-1.png\" "\\"dasfasds\\"")
<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div>2019<\/h2>\n\n- In March 2019, after the visit of the External Monitor, we sent the first \u201cProgress Report\u201d to the EASME, agency of the European Commission. At that moment it was clear that there was a delay, but it was assumable.<\/li>\n
- We have to say that at that moment we did not think that the delay would be a serious problem. The delay was produced later due to the requirements for the permits of the Principality of Asturias.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>
\n- The year 2019 was the one in which more work was carried out. The expectations at the end of year 2018 were to get approval and permissions from the public administration and to finish the work in La Soterra\u00f1a by final of 2019, however, the reality was quite different.<\/li>\n
- On February 25th, 2019, the same regional Authority issues a new requirement in which the modification of the project actions is requested for approval. In the same requirement, the installation of additional equipment and actions is also requested to guarantee the non-impact of the project to the land and nearby towns.<\/li>\n
- The regional Authority for the Environment authorizes the project SUBProducts4LIFE imposing several conditions in order to fulfil with the Spanish Law, which we considered not to be acceptable:\n
\n- Set up a bail for 200,000.00 \u20ac due to movement of up to 20,000 tons of materials; although is a quantity that huge companies like EDP or EDERSA can assume in their normal activity, it is clearly not assumable by the project.<\/li>\n
- The hiring of a liability and environmental insurance policy for the \u201crefurbishment and remediation of the environment\u201d; this is a condition that we cannot understand because the area in which the project is developed is already a highly contaminated one; in fact, and due to our exertions this condition has been avoided.<\/li>\n
- To consider as dangerous or hazardous waste any mix of subproducts with mining or production plant waste. This implied another requirement: to remove all the waste (both any subproduct which were introduced and existing mining\/plant waste); this requirement has no sense because it is against of the objectives of the project themselves.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
- At that moment, there were two possibilities: to finish the project or to modify the project in order to make it reliable. We decided to modify the project and to apply for the authorisation again. Simultaneously, we communicated the problems to the SUBproducts4LIFE project External Monitor. The modifications are the following:\n
\n- Reduction of the total amount of material (subproducts) to introduce in La Soterra\u00f1a in order to diminish the quantity of the bail required by the regional authority to an assumable value (only 3500 tons).<\/li>\n
- In Pilot Case 1, the mixing between subproducts and waste is reduced to a minimum and subproducts are used mainly to cover the materials of the upper old waste deposit and tail deposit.<\/li>\n
- In Pilot Case 2, the actions are now reduced to the treatment of high contaminated waste of production plant demolition in the lower level. In this case, mixing of subproducts and contaminated demolition waste is allowed under some conditions.<\/li>\n
- In Pilot Case 3 the actions will be carried out according to the initial project. Only the length of filter trenches\/channels (or its number) is reduced consequently with the reduction of the contaminated water flow rate.<\/li>\n
- The hiring of a liability insurance policy under the conditions assumable by insurance companies.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
- These modifications diminish the scope of the project (valorization of less quantity of subproducts); nevertheless other main objectives can be reached as for example the test with subproducts a real scale or the improvement\/remediation of mining site.<\/li>\n
- These modifications were communicated both the European Research Office of UNIOVI and the External Monitor of the Project and both considered that modifications were reasonable and if the regional authority authorizes the modifications, it would be possible to apply for an Amendment to the European Commission.<\/li>\n
- Once presented the modifications to the project, and as it is usual, the approval of regional authority is got under the following new conditions:\n
\n- Set up a bail for only 37,055.00\u20ac.<\/li>\n
- The hiring of a liability and environmental insurance policy.<\/li>\n
- Development of some preliminary works.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
- Taking into account that requirements were assumable, and with the aim to avoid new delays, we decided to start the preliminary works (the same as in the original project), a) to contact to financial entities and insurance companies to get the bail and insurance policy and, simultaneously, b) start the elaboration of the amendment.<\/li>\n
- The 11th of July 2019 the starting of the works is announced officially in a press conference at the Lena Council with the participation of all beneficiaries and other sponsors\/stakeholders. The new about the act celebration is published in the two regional newspapers of greatest circulation, La Nueva Espa\u00f1a and El Comercio.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>
![](\"http:\/\/www.unioviedo.es\/SUBproducts4LIFE\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/noticia-de-lne-2019-1.png\" "\\"noticia")
<\/span><\/div>La Nueva Espa\u00f1a news<\/p>\n<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n- From July 2019 and during the second semester of 2019, the preliminary works were carried out. In December 2019 only the impermeabilization of an area was pending. A more detailed description of these works is the following:\n
\n- Installation of perimeter fence (or repairing the existing one) and signalling:\n
\n- Some details of the fence are shown in photographs in figures 1.The planned security actions consisted in repairing partially the existing fence and placing new fence in order to prevent people and animals from accessing the project areas. A so called cinegetic fence will be erected; subsequently people who access the pilot area will be only those authorized to enter the project site (with the authorization of the project manager). Moreover, this fence, by preventing animals from entering the area, from drinking contaminated water or from eating contaminated grass or other materials, will itself contribute to improve the overall condition of the area and interrupt the contamination in the tropoch chain.On the other hand, in different areas, the inherent risk has been properly signalled.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>
![](\"http:\/\/www.unioviedo.es\/SUBproducts4LIFE\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/senales-5.png\" "\\"Figure")
<\/span><\/div>Figure 1: Different aspects of the fence and signals<\/p>\n<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n- \n
\n- Provision of services: water, electricity, etc.\n
\n- These services are necessary for carrying out the preparatory actions. At the beginning, it was no necessary to use electricity due to all the machines are driven by Diesel engines, but later electricity generators were used. On the other hand, the necessary amount of water was supplied by means of water tanks.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
- Conditioning and preparing the area for personnel and machinery\n
\n- Two especial mobile containers are used to storage tools and for the workers (Figure 4). Machinery is parked in the covered area. No more facilities were necessary.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>
![](\"http:\/\/www.unioviedo.es\/SUBproducts4LIFE\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/fig-42.png\" "\\"Figure")
<\/span><\/div>Figure 4: Area for personnel and machinery<\/p>\n<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n- \n
\n- Construction of a ditch above the landfill to avoid the access of rainwater from the outside\n
\n- The aim of this ditch (figure 2) is to reduce the flow of water that accesses to the area (and runs through contaminated material and waste), since this involves not only the generation of new contaminated water (spreading effect), but more importantly, a dilution effect which would lead to erroneous effectiveness results of the proposed methods.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>
![](\"http:\/\/www.unioviedo.es\/SUBproducts4LIFE\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/cuentas.png\" "\\"Ditch")
<\/span><\/div>Figure 2: Ditch above the landfill<\/p>\n<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n- \n
\n- The concrete floor of area for material storage should be uniform, it should be in good conditions, and it should be impermeable\n
\n- As it is shown in the photograph of Figure 5, there is an area covered by a roof in the site which was selected for the material storage in order to protect it from the rain. After cleaning the area, it was proved that the floor, made of thick plate of concrete, is in good conditions that assure it is impermeable.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>
![](\"http:\/\/www.unioviedo.es\/SUBproducts4LIFE\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/zona-de-almacenes.png\" "\\"Figure")
<\/span><\/div>Figure 5: Potential areas of materials storage (with and without roof)<\/p>\n<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n- \n
\n- Construct filter trenches with impermeable base\n
\n- In the original project, there was defined to excavate several \u201cfiltering trenches\u201d, several trenches in which materials would be mixed in order to study the positive effect of the subproducts for cleaning the water. After analysing the site, a new and better solution was found: to use channels instead of trenches. The channels (Figure 7) on the surface do not need excavate the concrete floor and the permemability Is not affected. On the other hand, it is easier to control and remediate a potential water leakage from filtering system.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>
![](\"http:\/\/www.unioviedo.es\/SUBproducts4LIFE\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/zanjas-filtrantes.png\" "\\"Figure")
<\/span><\/div>Figure 7: Area of filtering channels<\/p>\n<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n- \n
\n- Ditch\/pipes network to collect water and to carry it to filtering channels\n
\n- It was built a pipe system to carry the contaminated water to the filtering area. It was necessary the excavation of auxiliary trenches and ditches to collect water. The installation of control manholes and regulation of flows in filtering channels was also carried out (Figure 3). At the entrance to the channels a deal manhole that allows the distribution of the different trench leachate becomes available. At the end of each trench a manhole to sampling and testing of decontamination treatment outcomes will be built<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>
![](\"http:\/\/www.unioviedo.es\/SUBproducts4LIFE\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Red-de-tuberias-en-el-area-de-filtrado.png\" "\\"Figure")
<\/span><\/div>Figure 3: Different manhole system in filtering area<\/p>\n<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n- \n
\n- Surface preparation in the area of the former production plant which contaminated waste from buildings demolition: the floor and the sides have to be impermeable (with geotextile) and there will be a drain network\n
\n- The treatments areas have been prepared by removing existing materials and reviewing the concrete floor and walls state that are in contact with waste and water. It was necessary to repair the floor with a layer of concrete (Figure 6). The application of geotextile and HDPE film to ensure the necessary waterproofing, was carried out in March 2020.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>
![](\"http:\/\/www.unioviedo.es\/SUBproducts4LIFE\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/reparacion-de-solera.png\" "\\"Figure")
<\/span><\/div>Figure 6: Area of pilot site 2 (treatment of contaminated waste from building demolition)<\/p>\n<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n- Once the works in La Soterra\u00f1a start, some neighbours showed some doubts about the project and a neighbour association made some questions to the Lena Council.<\/li>\n
- We always have collaborated with the Council of Lena Council in order to answer questions related to the project SUBProducts4LIFE made by the neighbour association. The answer must be a balance between the fulfilment of the regional law about \u201cTransparency, good governance and groups of interest\u201d and the respect to copyright or intellectual property rights of the companies and institutions forming part of the SUBproducts4LIFE consortium.<\/li>\n
- The regional press published some papers with the doubts of the neighbours about the project. For example, they though that the mine was to exploit mercury again. In other news the neighbour asked for the authorities to clarify if the industrial subprodutcs to be used in La Soterra\u00f1a could be dangerous.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>
![](\"http:\/\/www.unioviedo.es\/SUBproducts4LIFE\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/noticas-prensa-2019.png\" "\\"News")
<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n- Nevertheless, the news also included that neighbours of nearest villages to La Soterra\u00f1a were happy of the beginning of works to diminish the contamination of the former mining installations. Moreover, as the project was being developed, the doubts were disappearing, and more optimistic news showing a better knowledge about the project were published.<\/li>\n
- In this way, in August 2019 the regional press published a news in which La Soterra\u00f1a site was presented as a \u201cgreat Laboratory\u201d showing the true aim of the works to carry out there. On the other hand, in December 2019, when preliminary works were practically finished, another paper published \u201cLa Soterra\u00f1a shows its transformation\u201d and talk about the \u201cLearning centre\u201c which would start to describe the project.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>
![](\"http:\/\/www.unioviedo.es\/SUBproducts4LIFE\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Transformacion-de-la-Soterrana.png\" "\\"Transformation")
<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n- In September 2019, the required bail was set up and in December 2019 the liability insurance policy was got.<\/li>\n
- At the end of 2019, almost all the preliminary works had been carried out; only the impermeabilization of the floor on which demolition waste of the former treatment plant would be put. Once this task was finished, the regional authority would carry out an inspection and give the definitive authorization.<\/li>\n
- As the works were being carried out in La Soterra\u00f1a, the project and its activities have been presented during 2019 in different events at different level and in different ways:\n
\n- In January 2019, a SUBproducts4LIFE poster was exhibited in the Universities G9 Commission of Research.<\/li>\n
- In March 2019 the project poster was exhibited in the Minerals, Gems and Fossils contest in the UNIOVI facilities.<\/li>\n
- In March, the coordinator UNIOVI attended the Innovation Camp on \u201cScience for a trasnsition to a circular economy of the processes industry in a Natural Paradise (Asturias)\u201d, carried out in Asturias (Spain) region which has been chosen as Science Meets Regions. Covadonga (Spain), 28\/03\/2019.<\/li>\n
- In April 2019 the beneficiary TECMIN participated in the \u201cSeminar on Mining and Circular Economy\u201d, carried out in Huelva, the most important mining region of the pyritic-belt in Spain with a relevant metal-base mining. Huelva (Spain). 05\/04\/2019.<\/li>\n
- In May 2019, the coordinator UNIOVI attended the 15th International Conference on Sustainable Use and Management of Soil, Sediments and Water Resources (AquaConSoil 2019). Belgium, 24\/05\/2019.<\/li>\n
- In June the coordinator UNIOVI attended the Seminar on \u201cSuccessful cases of the University of Oviedo, LIFE Environment and Resources Efficiency\u201d in the most representative international projects were described. Oviedo 28\/06\/2019.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
2020<\/h2>\n\n- The year 2020 was the year of the COVID-19 Pandemic. At the beginning it seemed that the Pandemic influence would not be very negative, nevertheless the negative effects along the year were dramatic<\/li>\n
- At the end of 2019, the new treatment area (placed where the former production plant\/furnace was) was already prepared. The concrete floor and walls that will be in contact with waste and water were reviewed and it was necessary to repair the floor with a layer of concrete.<\/li>\n
- During the first months of 2020, a small concrete wall has been built along the perimeter of this area, where there is not an existing wall (see the figures).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>
![](\"http:\/\/www.unioviedo.es\/SUBproducts4LIFE\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Construccion-de-muros-y-formacion-del-cubeto-1.png\" "\\"Figure:")
<\/span><\/div>Figure: The area with the concrete floor and the concrete wall<\/p>\n<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n- Finally, the 11th of March, the waterproofing of the area was carried out by a specialized company. There was a certain delay because the bad weather and the availability of the company (they are companies that works only at a big scale).<\/li>\n
- At the bottom and at the sides of the action area (former production plant\/furnace), a geotextile material and an impermeable sheet of PEAD material have been put as a second barrier against water leakage. The control and supervision of impermeabilization has been carried out by an external laboratory.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>
![](\"http:\/\/www.unioviedo.es\/SUBproducts4LIFE\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Colocacion-del-geotextil-y-la-lamina-PEAD-1.png\" "\\"Figure:")
<\/span><\/div>Figure: Geotextile material and impermeable sheet of PEAD material<\/p>\n<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n- In Figure, the initial and final appearance of the area of former treatment plant and new area for treatment of the waste of building demolition are shown.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>
![](\"http:\/\/www.unioviedo.es\/SUBproducts4LIFE\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Aspecto-inicial-y-final-en-la-zona-de-los-antiguos-hornos-1.png\" "\\"Figure:")
<\/span><\/div>Figure: Initial situation and new treatment area for this waste of building demolition<\/p>\n<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n- Just after finishing the preparatory works, the COVID-19 Pandemic was declared. At the beginning it seemed that the COVID19 crisis is only would cause minor problems. For example, at that moment the Pandemic caused a delay in all the decisions of the regional Authorities; the general prohibition of accessing to the University buildings became a problem because the remote working of all the personal produced sometimes problems in systems; due to commuting restrictions (no permissions for travelling) we had to avoid a meeting with the Monitoring Expert planned for March (it was carried out in September), etc<\/li>\n
- Obviously, during the first months of 2020, the main news in the newspapers were those related to COVID-19 Pandemic. Nevertheless, on 08\/04\/2020 the following new was published in the regional newspaper La Nueva Espa\u00f1a: \u201cLa Soterra\u00f1a, already to be decontaminated when the normality returns. The technics in charge of the project, with a global budget of \u20ac 1.7 million, have finished the preparatory works before the state of alarm was decreed\u201d. And in 07\/07\/2020 the same newspaper published another new with the following headline: \u201cLa Soterra\u00f1a is already prepared for receiving the industrial waste which will decontaminate the soil. The works manager waits for the last permits to carry to the site the materials that fix the mercury preventing the spread of contamination\u201d.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>
![](\"http:\/\/www.unioviedo.es\/SUBproducts4LIFE\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/noticias-abril-y-julio-2020-1.png\" "\\"April")
<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n- Once the worst effects of the \u201cfirst wave\u201d of the Pandemic had passed, it seemed that the project would develop normally. In this way, following the stablished procedures, in September 2020 the External Monitoring Teem carried out their monitoring visit. On the other hand, in October 2020 the European Commission approved the Amendment to the project requested in July.<\/li>\n
- Unfortunately, after summer 2020, the negative effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic are felt. As in the rest of the world, the stop of a relevant part of the activity of the industries during 6 months in Spain makes the economic activity to bring down. Many companies stop their projects the economy does not flow. It is a generalized fact that small companies started to suffer economic and financial stress. They were not commissioned any work, or they did not collet on time the amounts corresponding to work carried out. It became worse when in October\/November it is verified that the Pandemic has not finished yet and new \u201cwaves\u201d of contagion are being produced.<\/li>\n
- All these facts caused the project to slow down. Another relevant problem detected is that, during this period, a small company like GSERVICE had to support more than 60% of their budget when they only had received 30%. This unbalanced distribution generated difficulties to GSERVICE although fortunately all the preparatory works could be finished. Nevertheless, at that moment, to follow the works without new financing was difficult.<\/li>\n
- At that moment, the progress of the project had meant an expense for all beneficiaries of 30%, corresponding to the first prefinancing received. Therefore, according to the rules of the LIFE program, the Mid-Term Report was sent to the European Commission in September 2020 requesting the second prefinancing (40% of the total budget). This second prefinancing, which allowed to carry out the most important part of the project, was received in December 2020.<\/li>\n
- It has been pointed out that small and medium-size enterprises play an essential role in this kind of projects. They generate jobs, they are rooted in the region in which the projects are carried out and they are dynamic, being sometimes able to solve the problems faster than big companies or institutions. On the contrary, in general terms, they are more sensitive to economic crisis. Up to 2020, the small enterprises beneficiaries of the project had supported a biggest part of the costs of the project without significant problems. The crisis generated by the Pandemic made that the situation became more critical.<\/li>\n
- Although the work in La Soterra\u00f1a site had to be slow down until the second prefinancing receipt, it could be possible to develop some work related to environmental impact mitigation and occupational diseases\/health and safety prevention.<\/li>\n
- In this way, during the summer and autumn 2020, some campaigns of measuring dust and mercury concentration in the air were carried out. From environmental point of view, it demonstrated that the site has not a relevant impact on its environment through the air. The result of the measuring was thar the concentration both dust and pollutants are far below the limits stablished by the standards. It was demonstrated that while no works are being done there is no risk of inhalation of harmful substances near the Pilot areas.<\/li>\n
- This is important because one of the objectives of the project is for the site to be visitable and the results reached can be seen in situ. But it is also important from occupational health and safety point of view. In effect, among the other recommendations to include in the Good Practices Guide to be elaborated, to define the necessary studies to carry out to stablish the level of risk before starting the works.<\/li>\n
- On the other hand, once the works start in the pilot areas, new measuring campaigns will be carried out to analize the working conditions.<\/li>\n
- Events: The project and its activities have been presented during 2020 in different events although obviously it was conditioned by the COVID-19 Pandemic.\n
\n- For example, the coordinating beneficiary presented a very interesting paper in an international congress in January 2020:\n
\n- Baraga\u00f1o, N. \u00c1lvarez, J.R. Gallego, A. Gonz\u00e1lez. 2020. Hybrid technologies for mine reclamation by means of nanomaterials, fertilization and phytoremediation. Second International Conference on Nanomaterials Applied to Life Sciences. Madrid January 2020.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
- The beneficiary EDP had planned to attend the \u201cXV International Congress on Energy and Mineral Resources\u201d which would be held in Le\u00f3n in October 2020. Nevertheless, the congress was delayed and finally suspended due to COVID-19 Pandemic.<\/li>\n
- Conference of the beneficiary R&R about the SUBproducts4LIFE for the Professional Association of Mining Engineers. \u201cLIFE Soterra\u00f1a: Concepto innovador de econom\u00eda circular (Innovative circular economy concepts by reusing industrial subproducts and waste)\u201d. 17\/12\/2020.<\/li>\n
- On the other hand, it is remarkable the research carried out by UNIOVI within the framework of the project which results have been published in two of the most prestigious journals in the world demonstrating the relevancy of the project at an international level:\n
\n- The new results of UNIOVI laboratory analysis had been reached and they had been published in the prestigious Journal of Hazardous Materials:\n
\n- Ayala J. Fern\u00e1ndez B. 2020. Industrial waste materials as adsorbents for the removal of As and other toxic elements from an abandoned mine spoil heap leachate: a case study in Asturias.<\/em> Journal of Hazardous Materials Volume 384 (2020) 121446.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
- On the other hand, a complete study of the initial situation of La Soterra\u00f1a Pilot sites has been published in the journal Science of the Total Environment.\n
\n- Fern\u00e1ndez B., et al. 2020. A multi-faceted, environmental forensic characterization of a paradigmatic brownfield polluted by hazardous waste containing Hg, As, PAHs and dioxins.<\/em> Science of the Total Environment 726 (2020) 138546.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
- In October, the regional press publishes a news with the headline \u201cgreen light, after 3 years of paperwork, for the project to clean the mine La Soterra\u00f1a\u201d. The news explains that the Principality of Asturias has granted the permissions to carry out the project SUBproducts4LIFE \u201ca European plan to start with the decontamination of the closed mercury mine La Soterra\u00f1a\u201d.<\/li>\n
- On 04\/12\/2020, the Spanish Ministry for the Ecologic Transition and Demographic Challenge (MITECO) publishes a press release pointing out that about \u20ac 59 would be invested in 2021 to improve the Environment in Asturias. At the end the news remarks \u201cit remarkable the project for the reclamation of the two mining sites La Soterra\u00f1a and El Terronal with a budget of approximately \u20ac 10 million. The next day the regional press reproduced the news.<\/li>\n
- Although it cannot be said that these new projects are a direct consequence of the project SUBproducts4LIFE, there is without any doubt a relationship between the new projects and the SUBproducts4LIFE project. The origin of the SUBproducts4LIFE was to investigate a solution for these \u201corphan\u201d waste disposals with high contaminant concentrations produced by the old, abandoned mines. On the other hand, the fact that SUBproducts4LIFE started after overpassing all the legal aspects contributed to select these sites for its reclamation with the public financing.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>
![](\"http:\/\/www.unioviedo.es\/SUBproducts4LIFE\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/2020-12-05-La-Nueva-Espana-652x1024.jpg\" "\\"2020-12-05")
<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n- At the end of December, two news talk about the projects again. One of them talks about the imminent beginning of the works related to SUBproducts4LIFE \u201cthe decontamination of the old mine La Soterra\u00f1a, in Lena, will start at the beginning of the next year\u201d. The other talks about the national financing for La Soterra\u00f1a and El Terronal and it is pointed out that this financing is complementary to the European financing of the SUBproducts4LIFE.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>
<\/div><\/div>
<\/div>In this section you can consult the project milestones.<\/span><\/h4>\n<\/div>
In this section you can consult the project milestones.<\/span><\/h4>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>2017<\/h2>\n\n- The project starts in September 2017. The approval of the project by the European Commission is received as an excellent new which has a relevant press, radio and TV broadcast. One of the inauguration acts was a meeting in La Soterra\u00f1a site with neighbours of the nearest village to the site, Mu\u00f1\u00f3n Cimero. Later, in October 2017 the project is presented in the LIFE Kick-off Meeting in Brussels.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>
\n- In December 2017 the necessary permits for the preparatory works are requested from the Le Council. The authorization will not be able until a year later. Unfortunately, the complex application of the Spanish legislation was one of the main problems during the project causing important delays.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/span>
Presentation of the project in the LIFE projects kick-off meeting in Brussels<\/p>\n<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>2018<\/h2>\n\n- In March 2018 the necessary permits for the main works (pilot cases) are requested from the Principality of Asturias (PRAS). The authorization will not be able until two years later.<\/li>\n
- The activities progress during 2018 can be summarized in a simple sentence: practically the 100% in all the actions that only depend on the project partnership, e.g. elaboration of technical documentation, mapping etc., previous campaigns to take soil and water samples, creation of the website and other diffusion materials, etc. were completed.<\/li>\n
- Related to the development of pilot cases, the project partnership exploited all the possibilities and carried out every action to acquire the licenses and authorizations from the pertinent public bodies at a local (Council of Lena, AYTOLENA) and regional level (Principality of Asturias, PRAS), but implementation actions could not begin due to the delay in the authorisation.<\/li>\n
- In the project case, the delay is even more complicated due to the differences between the activities strictly considered by the law and the innovative actions that SUBproducts4LIFE aims to test and carry out.<\/li>\n
- An important part of the problem is that some national laws (e.g. Spanish law) find this project hard to classify. Although the law regulates how to deposit the \u201cpolluted waste\u201d into \u201cclean areas\u201d, the case of SUBproducts4LIFE does exactly the contrary action: clean materials on a polluted area.<\/li>\n
- The project will act close to a large mining waste disposal considering the law related to mining waste. However, PRAS found that a specific demolition waste considered in Pilot Case 2 (Action B2) should be treated according to the general law of industrial waste.<\/li>\n
- On the other hand, two different types of materials will be used, with different management requirements: industrial subproducts (gypsum and blast furnace slag) and industrial waste (coal ash and steelmaking slag). These aspects add complexity to the project. In this way, the authorities are currently being collaborative and are trying to find a way to solve discrepancies.<\/li>\n
- The local press published a new giving details about the delays and its negative effects for the project.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/span>
\n- In the framework of typical dissemination activities of the SUBproducts4LIFE, in February 2018 the coordinator Uniovi and the beneficiary Biosfera participated in a meeting with neighbours of the village Mu\u00f1\u00f3n Cimero the nearest village to La Soterra\u00f1a site.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div>
2019<\/h2>\n\n- In March 2019, after the visit of the External Monitor, we sent the first \u201cProgress Report\u201d to the EASME, agency of the European Commission. At that moment it was clear that there was a delay, but it was assumable.<\/li>\n
- We have to say that at that moment we did not think that the delay would be a serious problem. The delay was produced later due to the requirements for the permits of the Principality of Asturias.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>
\n- The year 2019 was the one in which more work was carried out. The expectations at the end of year 2018 were to get approval and permissions from the public administration and to finish the work in La Soterra\u00f1a by final of 2019, however, the reality was quite different.<\/li>\n
- On February 25th, 2019, the same regional Authority issues a new requirement in which the modification of the project actions is requested for approval. In the same requirement, the installation of additional equipment and actions is also requested to guarantee the non-impact of the project to the land and nearby towns.<\/li>\n
- The regional Authority for the Environment authorizes the project SUBProducts4LIFE imposing several conditions in order to fulfil with the Spanish Law, which we considered not to be acceptable:\n
\n- Set up a bail for 200,000.00 \u20ac due to movement of up to 20,000 tons of materials; although is a quantity that huge companies like EDP or EDERSA can assume in their normal activity, it is clearly not assumable by the project.<\/li>\n
- The hiring of a liability and environmental insurance policy for the \u201crefurbishment and remediation of the environment\u201d; this is a condition that we cannot understand because the area in which the project is developed is already a highly contaminated one; in fact, and due to our exertions this condition has been avoided.<\/li>\n
- To consider as dangerous or hazardous waste any mix of subproducts with mining or production plant waste. This implied another requirement: to remove all the waste (both any subproduct which were introduced and existing mining\/plant waste); this requirement has no sense because it is against of the objectives of the project themselves.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
- At that moment, there were two possibilities: to finish the project or to modify the project in order to make it reliable. We decided to modify the project and to apply for the authorisation again. Simultaneously, we communicated the problems to the SUBproducts4LIFE project External Monitor. The modifications are the following:\n
\n- Reduction of the total amount of material (subproducts) to introduce in La Soterra\u00f1a in order to diminish the quantity of the bail required by the regional authority to an assumable value (only 3500 tons).<\/li>\n
- In Pilot Case 1, the mixing between subproducts and waste is reduced to a minimum and subproducts are used mainly to cover the materials of the upper old waste deposit and tail deposit.<\/li>\n
- In Pilot Case 2, the actions are now reduced to the treatment of high contaminated waste of production plant demolition in the lower level. In this case, mixing of subproducts and contaminated demolition waste is allowed under some conditions.<\/li>\n
- In Pilot Case 3 the actions will be carried out according to the initial project. Only the length of filter trenches\/channels (or its number) is reduced consequently with the reduction of the contaminated water flow rate.<\/li>\n
- The hiring of a liability insurance policy under the conditions assumable by insurance companies.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
- These modifications diminish the scope of the project (valorization of less quantity of subproducts); nevertheless other main objectives can be reached as for example the test with subproducts a real scale or the improvement\/remediation of mining site.<\/li>\n
- These modifications were communicated both the European Research Office of UNIOVI and the External Monitor of the Project and both considered that modifications were reasonable and if the regional authority authorizes the modifications, it would be possible to apply for an Amendment to the European Commission.<\/li>\n
- Once presented the modifications to the project, and as it is usual, the approval of regional authority is got under the following new conditions:\n
\n- Set up a bail for only 37,055.00\u20ac.<\/li>\n
- The hiring of a liability and environmental insurance policy.<\/li>\n
- Development of some preliminary works.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
- Taking into account that requirements were assumable, and with the aim to avoid new delays, we decided to start the preliminary works (the same as in the original project), a) to contact to financial entities and insurance companies to get the bail and insurance policy and, simultaneously, b) start the elaboration of the amendment.<\/li>\n
- The 11th of July 2019 the starting of the works is announced officially in a press conference at the Lena Council with the participation of all beneficiaries and other sponsors\/stakeholders. The new about the act celebration is published in the two regional newspapers of greatest circulation, La Nueva Espa\u00f1a and El Comercio.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/span><\/div>
La Nueva Espa\u00f1a news<\/p>\n<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n- From July 2019 and during the second semester of 2019, the preliminary works were carried out. In December 2019 only the impermeabilization of an area was pending. A more detailed description of these works is the following:\n
\n- Installation of perimeter fence (or repairing the existing one) and signalling:\n
\n- Some details of the fence are shown in photographs in figures 1.The planned security actions consisted in repairing partially the existing fence and placing new fence in order to prevent people and animals from accessing the project areas. A so called cinegetic fence will be erected; subsequently people who access the pilot area will be only those authorized to enter the project site (with the authorization of the project manager). Moreover, this fence, by preventing animals from entering the area, from drinking contaminated water or from eating contaminated grass or other materials, will itself contribute to improve the overall condition of the area and interrupt the contamination in the tropoch chain.On the other hand, in different areas, the inherent risk has been properly signalled.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/span><\/div>
Figure 1: Different aspects of the fence and signals<\/p>\n<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n- \n
\n- Provision of services: water, electricity, etc.\n
\n- These services are necessary for carrying out the preparatory actions. At the beginning, it was no necessary to use electricity due to all the machines are driven by Diesel engines, but later electricity generators were used. On the other hand, the necessary amount of water was supplied by means of water tanks.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
- Conditioning and preparing the area for personnel and machinery\n
\n- Two especial mobile containers are used to storage tools and for the workers (Figure 4). Machinery is parked in the covered area. No more facilities were necessary.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/span><\/div>
Figure 4: Area for personnel and machinery<\/p>\n<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n- \n
\n- Construction of a ditch above the landfill to avoid the access of rainwater from the outside\n
\n- The aim of this ditch (figure 2) is to reduce the flow of water that accesses to the area (and runs through contaminated material and waste), since this involves not only the generation of new contaminated water (spreading effect), but more importantly, a dilution effect which would lead to erroneous effectiveness results of the proposed methods.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/span><\/div>
Figure 2: Ditch above the landfill<\/p>\n<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n- \n
\n- The concrete floor of area for material storage should be uniform, it should be in good conditions, and it should be impermeable\n
\n- As it is shown in the photograph of Figure 5, there is an area covered by a roof in the site which was selected for the material storage in order to protect it from the rain. After cleaning the area, it was proved that the floor, made of thick plate of concrete, is in good conditions that assure it is impermeable.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/span><\/div>
Figure 5: Potential areas of materials storage (with and without roof)<\/p>\n<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n- \n
\n- Construct filter trenches with impermeable base\n
\n- In the original project, there was defined to excavate several \u201cfiltering trenches\u201d, several trenches in which materials would be mixed in order to study the positive effect of the subproducts for cleaning the water. After analysing the site, a new and better solution was found: to use channels instead of trenches. The channels (Figure 7) on the surface do not need excavate the concrete floor and the permemability Is not affected. On the other hand, it is easier to control and remediate a potential water leakage from filtering system.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/span><\/div>
Figure 7: Area of filtering channels<\/p>\n<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n- \n
\n- Ditch\/pipes network to collect water and to carry it to filtering channels\n
\n- It was built a pipe system to carry the contaminated water to the filtering area. It was necessary the excavation of auxiliary trenches and ditches to collect water. The installation of control manholes and regulation of flows in filtering channels was also carried out (Figure 3). At the entrance to the channels a deal manhole that allows the distribution of the different trench leachate becomes available. At the end of each trench a manhole to sampling and testing of decontamination treatment outcomes will be built<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/span><\/div>
Figure 3: Different manhole system in filtering area<\/p>\n<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n- \n
\n- Surface preparation in the area of the former production plant which contaminated waste from buildings demolition: the floor and the sides have to be impermeable (with geotextile) and there will be a drain network\n
\n- The treatments areas have been prepared by removing existing materials and reviewing the concrete floor and walls state that are in contact with waste and water. It was necessary to repair the floor with a layer of concrete (Figure 6). The application of geotextile and HDPE film to ensure the necessary waterproofing, was carried out in March 2020.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/span><\/div>
Figure 6: Area of pilot site 2 (treatment of contaminated waste from building demolition)<\/p>\n<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n- Once the works in La Soterra\u00f1a start, some neighbours showed some doubts about the project and a neighbour association made some questions to the Lena Council.<\/li>\n
- We always have collaborated with the Council of Lena Council in order to answer questions related to the project SUBProducts4LIFE made by the neighbour association. The answer must be a balance between the fulfilment of the regional law about \u201cTransparency, good governance and groups of interest\u201d and the respect to copyright or intellectual property rights of the companies and institutions forming part of the SUBproducts4LIFE consortium.<\/li>\n
- The regional press published some papers with the doubts of the neighbours about the project. For example, they though that the mine was to exploit mercury again. In other news the neighbour asked for the authorities to clarify if the industrial subprodutcs to be used in La Soterra\u00f1a could be dangerous.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
\n- Nevertheless, the news also included that neighbours of nearest villages to La Soterra\u00f1a were happy of the beginning of works to diminish the contamination of the former mining installations. Moreover, as the project was being developed, the doubts were disappearing, and more optimistic news showing a better knowledge about the project were published.<\/li>\n
- In this way, in August 2019 the regional press published a news in which La Soterra\u00f1a site was presented as a \u201cgreat Laboratory\u201d showing the true aim of the works to carry out there. On the other hand, in December 2019, when preliminary works were practically finished, another paper published \u201cLa Soterra\u00f1a shows its transformation\u201d and talk about the \u201cLearning centre\u201c which would start to describe the project.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
\n- In September 2019, the required bail was set up and in December 2019 the liability insurance policy was got.<\/li>\n
- At the end of 2019, almost all the preliminary works had been carried out; only the impermeabilization of the floor on which demolition waste of the former treatment plant would be put. Once this task was finished, the regional authority would carry out an inspection and give the definitive authorization.<\/li>\n
- As the works were being carried out in La Soterra\u00f1a, the project and its activities have been presented during 2019 in different events at different level and in different ways:\n
\n- In January 2019, a SUBproducts4LIFE poster was exhibited in the Universities G9 Commission of Research.<\/li>\n
- In March 2019 the project poster was exhibited in the Minerals, Gems and Fossils contest in the UNIOVI facilities.<\/li>\n
- In March, the coordinator UNIOVI attended the Innovation Camp on \u201cScience for a trasnsition to a circular economy of the processes industry in a Natural Paradise (Asturias)\u201d, carried out in Asturias (Spain) region which has been chosen as Science Meets Regions. Covadonga (Spain), 28\/03\/2019.<\/li>\n
- In April 2019 the beneficiary TECMIN participated in the \u201cSeminar on Mining and Circular Economy\u201d, carried out in Huelva, the most important mining region of the pyritic-belt in Spain with a relevant metal-base mining. Huelva (Spain). 05\/04\/2019.<\/li>\n
- In May 2019, the coordinator UNIOVI attended the 15th International Conference on Sustainable Use and Management of Soil, Sediments and Water Resources (AquaConSoil 2019). Belgium, 24\/05\/2019.<\/li>\n
- In June the coordinator UNIOVI attended the Seminar on \u201cSuccessful cases of the University of Oviedo, LIFE Environment and Resources Efficiency\u201d in the most representative international projects were described. Oviedo 28\/06\/2019.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
2020<\/h2>\n\n- The year 2020 was the year of the COVID-19 Pandemic. At the beginning it seemed that the Pandemic influence would not be very negative, nevertheless the negative effects along the year were dramatic<\/li>\n
- At the end of 2019, the new treatment area (placed where the former production plant\/furnace was) was already prepared. The concrete floor and walls that will be in contact with waste and water were reviewed and it was necessary to repair the floor with a layer of concrete.<\/li>\n
- During the first months of 2020, a small concrete wall has been built along the perimeter of this area, where there is not an existing wall (see the figures).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/span><\/div>
Figure: The area with the concrete floor and the concrete wall<\/p>\n<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n- Finally, the 11th of March, the waterproofing of the area was carried out by a specialized company. There was a certain delay because the bad weather and the availability of the company (they are companies that works only at a big scale).<\/li>\n
- At the bottom and at the sides of the action area (former production plant\/furnace), a geotextile material and an impermeable sheet of PEAD material have been put as a second barrier against water leakage. The control and supervision of impermeabilization has been carried out by an external laboratory.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/span><\/div>
Figure: Geotextile material and impermeable sheet of PEAD material<\/p>\n<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n- In Figure, the initial and final appearance of the area of former treatment plant and new area for treatment of the waste of building demolition are shown.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/span><\/div>
Figure: Initial situation and new treatment area for this waste of building demolition<\/p>\n<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n- Just after finishing the preparatory works, the COVID-19 Pandemic was declared. At the beginning it seemed that the COVID19 crisis is only would cause minor problems. For example, at that moment the Pandemic caused a delay in all the decisions of the regional Authorities; the general prohibition of accessing to the University buildings became a problem because the remote working of all the personal produced sometimes problems in systems; due to commuting restrictions (no permissions for travelling) we had to avoid a meeting with the Monitoring Expert planned for March (it was carried out in September), etc<\/li>\n
- Obviously, during the first months of 2020, the main news in the newspapers were those related to COVID-19 Pandemic. Nevertheless, on 08\/04\/2020 the following new was published in the regional newspaper La Nueva Espa\u00f1a: \u201cLa Soterra\u00f1a, already to be decontaminated when the normality returns. The technics in charge of the project, with a global budget of \u20ac 1.7 million, have finished the preparatory works before the state of alarm was decreed\u201d. And in 07\/07\/2020 the same newspaper published another new with the following headline: \u201cLa Soterra\u00f1a is already prepared for receiving the industrial waste which will decontaminate the soil. The works manager waits for the last permits to carry to the site the materials that fix the mercury preventing the spread of contamination\u201d.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
\n- Once the worst effects of the \u201cfirst wave\u201d of the Pandemic had passed, it seemed that the project would develop normally. In this way, following the stablished procedures, in September 2020 the External Monitoring Teem carried out their monitoring visit. On the other hand, in October 2020 the European Commission approved the Amendment to the project requested in July.<\/li>\n
- Unfortunately, after summer 2020, the negative effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic are felt. As in the rest of the world, the stop of a relevant part of the activity of the industries during 6 months in Spain makes the economic activity to bring down. Many companies stop their projects the economy does not flow. It is a generalized fact that small companies started to suffer economic and financial stress. They were not commissioned any work, or they did not collet on time the amounts corresponding to work carried out. It became worse when in October\/November it is verified that the Pandemic has not finished yet and new \u201cwaves\u201d of contagion are being produced.<\/li>\n
- All these facts caused the project to slow down. Another relevant problem detected is that, during this period, a small company like GSERVICE had to support more than 60% of their budget when they only had received 30%. This unbalanced distribution generated difficulties to GSERVICE although fortunately all the preparatory works could be finished. Nevertheless, at that moment, to follow the works without new financing was difficult.<\/li>\n
- At that moment, the progress of the project had meant an expense for all beneficiaries of 30%, corresponding to the first prefinancing received. Therefore, according to the rules of the LIFE program, the Mid-Term Report was sent to the European Commission in September 2020 requesting the second prefinancing (40% of the total budget). This second prefinancing, which allowed to carry out the most important part of the project, was received in December 2020.<\/li>\n
- It has been pointed out that small and medium-size enterprises play an essential role in this kind of projects. They generate jobs, they are rooted in the region in which the projects are carried out and they are dynamic, being sometimes able to solve the problems faster than big companies or institutions. On the contrary, in general terms, they are more sensitive to economic crisis. Up to 2020, the small enterprises beneficiaries of the project had supported a biggest part of the costs of the project without significant problems. The crisis generated by the Pandemic made that the situation became more critical.<\/li>\n
- Although the work in La Soterra\u00f1a site had to be slow down until the second prefinancing receipt, it could be possible to develop some work related to environmental impact mitigation and occupational diseases\/health and safety prevention.<\/li>\n
- In this way, during the summer and autumn 2020, some campaigns of measuring dust and mercury concentration in the air were carried out. From environmental point of view, it demonstrated that the site has not a relevant impact on its environment through the air. The result of the measuring was thar the concentration both dust and pollutants are far below the limits stablished by the standards. It was demonstrated that while no works are being done there is no risk of inhalation of harmful substances near the Pilot areas.<\/li>\n
- This is important because one of the objectives of the project is for the site to be visitable and the results reached can be seen in situ. But it is also important from occupational health and safety point of view. In effect, among the other recommendations to include in the Good Practices Guide to be elaborated, to define the necessary studies to carry out to stablish the level of risk before starting the works.<\/li>\n
- On the other hand, once the works start in the pilot areas, new measuring campaigns will be carried out to analize the working conditions.<\/li>\n
- Events: The project and its activities have been presented during 2020 in different events although obviously it was conditioned by the COVID-19 Pandemic.\n
\n- For example, the coordinating beneficiary presented a very interesting paper in an international congress in January 2020:\n
\n- Baraga\u00f1o, N. \u00c1lvarez, J.R. Gallego, A. Gonz\u00e1lez. 2020. Hybrid technologies for mine reclamation by means of nanomaterials, fertilization and phytoremediation. Second International Conference on Nanomaterials Applied to Life Sciences. Madrid January 2020.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
- The beneficiary EDP had planned to attend the \u201cXV International Congress on Energy and Mineral Resources\u201d which would be held in Le\u00f3n in October 2020. Nevertheless, the congress was delayed and finally suspended due to COVID-19 Pandemic.<\/li>\n
- Conference of the beneficiary R&R about the SUBproducts4LIFE for the Professional Association of Mining Engineers. \u201cLIFE Soterra\u00f1a: Concepto innovador de econom\u00eda circular (Innovative circular economy concepts by reusing industrial subproducts and waste)\u201d. 17\/12\/2020.<\/li>\n
- On the other hand, it is remarkable the research carried out by UNIOVI within the framework of the project which results have been published in two of the most prestigious journals in the world demonstrating the relevancy of the project at an international level:\n
\n- The new results of UNIOVI laboratory analysis had been reached and they had been published in the prestigious Journal of Hazardous Materials:\n
\n- Ayala J. Fern\u00e1ndez B. 2020. Industrial waste materials as adsorbents for the removal of As and other toxic elements from an abandoned mine spoil heap leachate: a case study in Asturias.<\/em> Journal of Hazardous Materials Volume 384 (2020) 121446.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
- On the other hand, a complete study of the initial situation of La Soterra\u00f1a Pilot sites has been published in the journal Science of the Total Environment.\n
\n- Fern\u00e1ndez B., et al. 2020. A multi-faceted, environmental forensic characterization of a paradigmatic brownfield polluted by hazardous waste containing Hg, As, PAHs and dioxins.<\/em> Science of the Total Environment 726 (2020) 138546.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
- In October, the regional press publishes a news with the headline \u201cgreen light, after 3 years of paperwork, for the project to clean the mine La Soterra\u00f1a\u201d. The news explains that the Principality of Asturias has granted the permissions to carry out the project SUBproducts4LIFE \u201ca European plan to start with the decontamination of the closed mercury mine La Soterra\u00f1a\u201d.<\/li>\n
- On 04\/12\/2020, the Spanish Ministry for the Ecologic Transition and Demographic Challenge (MITECO) publishes a press release pointing out that about \u20ac 59 would be invested in 2021 to improve the Environment in Asturias. At the end the news remarks \u201cit remarkable the project for the reclamation of the two mining sites La Soterra\u00f1a and El Terronal with a budget of approximately \u20ac 10 million. The next day the regional press reproduced the news.<\/li>\n
- Although it cannot be said that these new projects are a direct consequence of the project SUBproducts4LIFE, there is without any doubt a relationship between the new projects and the SUBproducts4LIFE project. The origin of the SUBproducts4LIFE was to investigate a solution for these \u201corphan\u201d waste disposals with high contaminant concentrations produced by the old, abandoned mines. On the other hand, the fact that SUBproducts4LIFE started after overpassing all the legal aspects contributed to select these sites for its reclamation with the public financing.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
\n- At the end of December, two news talk about the projects again. One of them talks about the imminent beginning of the works related to SUBproducts4LIFE \u201cthe decontamination of the old mine La Soterra\u00f1a, in Lena, will start at the beginning of the next year\u201d. The other talks about the national financing for La Soterra\u00f1a and El Terronal and it is pointed out that this financing is complementary to the European financing of the SUBproducts4LIFE.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>
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<\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/span>
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>2017<\/h2>\n
2017<\/h2>\n\n- The project starts in September 2017. The approval of the project by the European Commission is received as an excellent new which has a relevant press, radio and TV broadcast. One of the inauguration acts was a meeting in La Soterra\u00f1a site with neighbours of the nearest village to the site, Mu\u00f1\u00f3n Cimero. Later, in October 2017 the project is presented in the LIFE Kick-off Meeting in Brussels.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>
\n- In December 2017 the necessary permits for the preparatory works are requested from the Le Council. The authorization will not be able until a year later. Unfortunately, the complex application of the Spanish legislation was one of the main problems during the project causing important delays.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/span>
Presentation of the project in the LIFE projects kick-off meeting in Brussels<\/p>\n<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>2018<\/h2>\n\n- In March 2018 the necessary permits for the main works (pilot cases) are requested from the Principality of Asturias (PRAS). The authorization will not be able until two years later.<\/li>\n
- The activities progress during 2018 can be summarized in a simple sentence: practically the 100% in all the actions that only depend on the project partnership, e.g. elaboration of technical documentation, mapping etc., previous campaigns to take soil and water samples, creation of the website and other diffusion materials, etc. were completed.<\/li>\n
- Related to the development of pilot cases, the project partnership exploited all the possibilities and carried out every action to acquire the licenses and authorizations from the pertinent public bodies at a local (Council of Lena, AYTOLENA) and regional level (Principality of Asturias, PRAS), but implementation actions could not begin due to the delay in the authorisation.<\/li>\n
- In the project case, the delay is even more complicated due to the differences between the activities strictly considered by the law and the innovative actions that SUBproducts4LIFE aims to test and carry out.<\/li>\n
- An important part of the problem is that some national laws (e.g. Spanish law) find this project hard to classify. Although the law regulates how to deposit the \u201cpolluted waste\u201d into \u201cclean areas\u201d, the case of SUBproducts4LIFE does exactly the contrary action: clean materials on a polluted area.<\/li>\n
- The project will act close to a large mining waste disposal considering the law related to mining waste. However, PRAS found that a specific demolition waste considered in Pilot Case 2 (Action B2) should be treated according to the general law of industrial waste.<\/li>\n
- On the other hand, two different types of materials will be used, with different management requirements: industrial subproducts (gypsum and blast furnace slag) and industrial waste (coal ash and steelmaking slag). These aspects add complexity to the project. In this way, the authorities are currently being collaborative and are trying to find a way to solve discrepancies.<\/li>\n
- The local press published a new giving details about the delays and its negative effects for the project.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/span>
\n- In the framework of typical dissemination activities of the SUBproducts4LIFE, in February 2018 the coordinator Uniovi and the beneficiary Biosfera participated in a meeting with neighbours of the village Mu\u00f1\u00f3n Cimero the nearest village to La Soterra\u00f1a site.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div>
2019<\/h2>\n\n- In March 2019, after the visit of the External Monitor, we sent the first \u201cProgress Report\u201d to the EASME, agency of the European Commission. At that moment it was clear that there was a delay, but it was assumable.<\/li>\n
- We have to say that at that moment we did not think that the delay would be a serious problem. The delay was produced later due to the requirements for the permits of the Principality of Asturias.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>
\n- The year 2019 was the one in which more work was carried out. The expectations at the end of year 2018 were to get approval and permissions from the public administration and to finish the work in La Soterra\u00f1a by final of 2019, however, the reality was quite different.<\/li>\n
- On February 25th, 2019, the same regional Authority issues a new requirement in which the modification of the project actions is requested for approval. In the same requirement, the installation of additional equipment and actions is also requested to guarantee the non-impact of the project to the land and nearby towns.<\/li>\n
- The regional Authority for the Environment authorizes the project SUBProducts4LIFE imposing several conditions in order to fulfil with the Spanish Law, which we considered not to be acceptable:\n
\n- Set up a bail for 200,000.00 \u20ac due to movement of up to 20,000 tons of materials; although is a quantity that huge companies like EDP or EDERSA can assume in their normal activity, it is clearly not assumable by the project.<\/li>\n
- The hiring of a liability and environmental insurance policy for the \u201crefurbishment and remediation of the environment\u201d; this is a condition that we cannot understand because the area in which the project is developed is already a highly contaminated one; in fact, and due to our exertions this condition has been avoided.<\/li>\n
- To consider as dangerous or hazardous waste any mix of subproducts with mining or production plant waste. This implied another requirement: to remove all the waste (both any subproduct which were introduced and existing mining\/plant waste); this requirement has no sense because it is against of the objectives of the project themselves.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
- At that moment, there were two possibilities: to finish the project or to modify the project in order to make it reliable. We decided to modify the project and to apply for the authorisation again. Simultaneously, we communicated the problems to the SUBproducts4LIFE project External Monitor. The modifications are the following:\n
\n- Reduction of the total amount of material (subproducts) to introduce in La Soterra\u00f1a in order to diminish the quantity of the bail required by the regional authority to an assumable value (only 3500 tons).<\/li>\n
- In Pilot Case 1, the mixing between subproducts and waste is reduced to a minimum and subproducts are used mainly to cover the materials of the upper old waste deposit and tail deposit.<\/li>\n
- In Pilot Case 2, the actions are now reduced to the treatment of high contaminated waste of production plant demolition in the lower level. In this case, mixing of subproducts and contaminated demolition waste is allowed under some conditions.<\/li>\n
- In Pilot Case 3 the actions will be carried out according to the initial project. Only the length of filter trenches\/channels (or its number) is reduced consequently with the reduction of the contaminated water flow rate.<\/li>\n
- The hiring of a liability insurance policy under the conditions assumable by insurance companies.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
- These modifications diminish the scope of the project (valorization of less quantity of subproducts); nevertheless other main objectives can be reached as for example the test with subproducts a real scale or the improvement\/remediation of mining site.<\/li>\n
- These modifications were communicated both the European Research Office of UNIOVI and the External Monitor of the Project and both considered that modifications were reasonable and if the regional authority authorizes the modifications, it would be possible to apply for an Amendment to the European Commission.<\/li>\n
- Once presented the modifications to the project, and as it is usual, the approval of regional authority is got under the following new conditions:\n
\n- Set up a bail for only 37,055.00\u20ac.<\/li>\n
- The hiring of a liability and environmental insurance policy.<\/li>\n
- Development of some preliminary works.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
- Taking into account that requirements were assumable, and with the aim to avoid new delays, we decided to start the preliminary works (the same as in the original project), a) to contact to financial entities and insurance companies to get the bail and insurance policy and, simultaneously, b) start the elaboration of the amendment.<\/li>\n
- The 11th of July 2019 the starting of the works is announced officially in a press conference at the Lena Council with the participation of all beneficiaries and other sponsors\/stakeholders. The new about the act celebration is published in the two regional newspapers of greatest circulation, La Nueva Espa\u00f1a and El Comercio.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/span><\/div>
La Nueva Espa\u00f1a news<\/p>\n<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n- From July 2019 and during the second semester of 2019, the preliminary works were carried out. In December 2019 only the impermeabilization of an area was pending. A more detailed description of these works is the following:\n
\n- Installation of perimeter fence (or repairing the existing one) and signalling:\n
\n- Some details of the fence are shown in photographs in figures 1.The planned security actions consisted in repairing partially the existing fence and placing new fence in order to prevent people and animals from accessing the project areas. A so called cinegetic fence will be erected; subsequently people who access the pilot area will be only those authorized to enter the project site (with the authorization of the project manager). Moreover, this fence, by preventing animals from entering the area, from drinking contaminated water or from eating contaminated grass or other materials, will itself contribute to improve the overall condition of the area and interrupt the contamination in the tropoch chain.On the other hand, in different areas, the inherent risk has been properly signalled.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/span><\/div>
Figure 1: Different aspects of the fence and signals<\/p>\n<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n- \n
\n- Provision of services: water, electricity, etc.\n
\n- These services are necessary for carrying out the preparatory actions. At the beginning, it was no necessary to use electricity due to all the machines are driven by Diesel engines, but later electricity generators were used. On the other hand, the necessary amount of water was supplied by means of water tanks.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
- Conditioning and preparing the area for personnel and machinery\n
\n- Two especial mobile containers are used to storage tools and for the workers (Figure 4). Machinery is parked in the covered area. No more facilities were necessary.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/span><\/div>
Figure 4: Area for personnel and machinery<\/p>\n<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n- \n
\n- Construction of a ditch above the landfill to avoid the access of rainwater from the outside\n
\n- The aim of this ditch (figure 2) is to reduce the flow of water that accesses to the area (and runs through contaminated material and waste), since this involves not only the generation of new contaminated water (spreading effect), but more importantly, a dilution effect which would lead to erroneous effectiveness results of the proposed methods.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/span><\/div>
Figure 2: Ditch above the landfill<\/p>\n<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n- \n
\n- The concrete floor of area for material storage should be uniform, it should be in good conditions, and it should be impermeable\n
\n- As it is shown in the photograph of Figure 5, there is an area covered by a roof in the site which was selected for the material storage in order to protect it from the rain. After cleaning the area, it was proved that the floor, made of thick plate of concrete, is in good conditions that assure it is impermeable.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/span><\/div>
Figure 5: Potential areas of materials storage (with and without roof)<\/p>\n<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n- \n
\n- Construct filter trenches with impermeable base\n
\n- In the original project, there was defined to excavate several \u201cfiltering trenches\u201d, several trenches in which materials would be mixed in order to study the positive effect of the subproducts for cleaning the water. After analysing the site, a new and better solution was found: to use channels instead of trenches. The channels (Figure 7) on the surface do not need excavate the concrete floor and the permemability Is not affected. On the other hand, it is easier to control and remediate a potential water leakage from filtering system.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/span><\/div>
Figure 7: Area of filtering channels<\/p>\n<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n- \n
\n- Ditch\/pipes network to collect water and to carry it to filtering channels\n
\n- It was built a pipe system to carry the contaminated water to the filtering area. It was necessary the excavation of auxiliary trenches and ditches to collect water. The installation of control manholes and regulation of flows in filtering channels was also carried out (Figure 3). At the entrance to the channels a deal manhole that allows the distribution of the different trench leachate becomes available. At the end of each trench a manhole to sampling and testing of decontamination treatment outcomes will be built<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/span><\/div>
Figure 3: Different manhole system in filtering area<\/p>\n<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n- \n
\n- Surface preparation in the area of the former production plant which contaminated waste from buildings demolition: the floor and the sides have to be impermeable (with geotextile) and there will be a drain network\n
\n- The treatments areas have been prepared by removing existing materials and reviewing the concrete floor and walls state that are in contact with waste and water. It was necessary to repair the floor with a layer of concrete (Figure 6). The application of geotextile and HDPE film to ensure the necessary waterproofing, was carried out in March 2020.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/span><\/div>
Figure 6: Area of pilot site 2 (treatment of contaminated waste from building demolition)<\/p>\n<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n- Once the works in La Soterra\u00f1a start, some neighbours showed some doubts about the project and a neighbour association made some questions to the Lena Council.<\/li>\n
- We always have collaborated with the Council of Lena Council in order to answer questions related to the project SUBProducts4LIFE made by the neighbour association. The answer must be a balance between the fulfilment of the regional law about \u201cTransparency, good governance and groups of interest\u201d and the respect to copyright or intellectual property rights of the companies and institutions forming part of the SUBproducts4LIFE consortium.<\/li>\n
- The regional press published some papers with the doubts of the neighbours about the project. For example, they though that the mine was to exploit mercury again. In other news the neighbour asked for the authorities to clarify if the industrial subprodutcs to be used in La Soterra\u00f1a could be dangerous.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
\n- Nevertheless, the news also included that neighbours of nearest villages to La Soterra\u00f1a were happy of the beginning of works to diminish the contamination of the former mining installations. Moreover, as the project was being developed, the doubts were disappearing, and more optimistic news showing a better knowledge about the project were published.<\/li>\n
- In this way, in August 2019 the regional press published a news in which La Soterra\u00f1a site was presented as a \u201cgreat Laboratory\u201d showing the true aim of the works to carry out there. On the other hand, in December 2019, when preliminary works were practically finished, another paper published \u201cLa Soterra\u00f1a shows its transformation\u201d and talk about the \u201cLearning centre\u201c which would start to describe the project.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
\n- In September 2019, the required bail was set up and in December 2019 the liability insurance policy was got.<\/li>\n
- At the end of 2019, almost all the preliminary works had been carried out; only the impermeabilization of the floor on which demolition waste of the former treatment plant would be put. Once this task was finished, the regional authority would carry out an inspection and give the definitive authorization.<\/li>\n
- As the works were being carried out in La Soterra\u00f1a, the project and its activities have been presented during 2019 in different events at different level and in different ways:\n
\n- In January 2019, a SUBproducts4LIFE poster was exhibited in the Universities G9 Commission of Research.<\/li>\n
- In March 2019 the project poster was exhibited in the Minerals, Gems and Fossils contest in the UNIOVI facilities.<\/li>\n
- In March, the coordinator UNIOVI attended the Innovation Camp on \u201cScience for a trasnsition to a circular economy of the processes industry in a Natural Paradise (Asturias)\u201d, carried out in Asturias (Spain) region which has been chosen as Science Meets Regions. Covadonga (Spain), 28\/03\/2019.<\/li>\n
- In April 2019 the beneficiary TECMIN participated in the \u201cSeminar on Mining and Circular Economy\u201d, carried out in Huelva, the most important mining region of the pyritic-belt in Spain with a relevant metal-base mining. Huelva (Spain). 05\/04\/2019.<\/li>\n
- In May 2019, the coordinator UNIOVI attended the 15th International Conference on Sustainable Use and Management of Soil, Sediments and Water Resources (AquaConSoil 2019). Belgium, 24\/05\/2019.<\/li>\n
- In June the coordinator UNIOVI attended the Seminar on \u201cSuccessful cases of the University of Oviedo, LIFE Environment and Resources Efficiency\u201d in the most representative international projects were described. Oviedo 28\/06\/2019.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
2020<\/h2>\n\n- The year 2020 was the year of the COVID-19 Pandemic. At the beginning it seemed that the Pandemic influence would not be very negative, nevertheless the negative effects along the year were dramatic<\/li>\n
- At the end of 2019, the new treatment area (placed where the former production plant\/furnace was) was already prepared. The concrete floor and walls that will be in contact with waste and water were reviewed and it was necessary to repair the floor with a layer of concrete.<\/li>\n
- During the first months of 2020, a small concrete wall has been built along the perimeter of this area, where there is not an existing wall (see the figures).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/span><\/div>
Figure: The area with the concrete floor and the concrete wall<\/p>\n<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n- Finally, the 11th of March, the waterproofing of the area was carried out by a specialized company. There was a certain delay because the bad weather and the availability of the company (they are companies that works only at a big scale).<\/li>\n
- At the bottom and at the sides of the action area (former production plant\/furnace), a geotextile material and an impermeable sheet of PEAD material have been put as a second barrier against water leakage. The control and supervision of impermeabilization has been carried out by an external laboratory.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/span><\/div>
Figure: Geotextile material and impermeable sheet of PEAD material<\/p>\n<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n- In Figure, the initial and final appearance of the area of former treatment plant and new area for treatment of the waste of building demolition are shown.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/span><\/div>
Figure: Initial situation and new treatment area for this waste of building demolition<\/p>\n<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n- Just after finishing the preparatory works, the COVID-19 Pandemic was declared. At the beginning it seemed that the COVID19 crisis is only would cause minor problems. For example, at that moment the Pandemic caused a delay in all the decisions of the regional Authorities; the general prohibition of accessing to the University buildings became a problem because the remote working of all the personal produced sometimes problems in systems; due to commuting restrictions (no permissions for travelling) we had to avoid a meeting with the Monitoring Expert planned for March (it was carried out in September), etc<\/li>\n
- Obviously, during the first months of 2020, the main news in the newspapers were those related to COVID-19 Pandemic. Nevertheless, on 08\/04\/2020 the following new was published in the regional newspaper La Nueva Espa\u00f1a: \u201cLa Soterra\u00f1a, already to be decontaminated when the normality returns. The technics in charge of the project, with a global budget of \u20ac 1.7 million, have finished the preparatory works before the state of alarm was decreed\u201d. And in 07\/07\/2020 the same newspaper published another new with the following headline: \u201cLa Soterra\u00f1a is already prepared for receiving the industrial waste which will decontaminate the soil. The works manager waits for the last permits to carry to the site the materials that fix the mercury preventing the spread of contamination\u201d.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
\n- Once the worst effects of the \u201cfirst wave\u201d of the Pandemic had passed, it seemed that the project would develop normally. In this way, following the stablished procedures, in September 2020 the External Monitoring Teem carried out their monitoring visit. On the other hand, in October 2020 the European Commission approved the Amendment to the project requested in July.<\/li>\n
- Unfortunately, after summer 2020, the negative effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic are felt. As in the rest of the world, the stop of a relevant part of the activity of the industries during 6 months in Spain makes the economic activity to bring down. Many companies stop their projects the economy does not flow. It is a generalized fact that small companies started to suffer economic and financial stress. They were not commissioned any work, or they did not collet on time the amounts corresponding to work carried out. It became worse when in October\/November it is verified that the Pandemic has not finished yet and new \u201cwaves\u201d of contagion are being produced.<\/li>\n
- All these facts caused the project to slow down. Another relevant problem detected is that, during this period, a small company like GSERVICE had to support more than 60% of their budget when they only had received 30%. This unbalanced distribution generated difficulties to GSERVICE although fortunately all the preparatory works could be finished. Nevertheless, at that moment, to follow the works without new financing was difficult.<\/li>\n
- At that moment, the progress of the project had meant an expense for all beneficiaries of 30%, corresponding to the first prefinancing received. Therefore, according to the rules of the LIFE program, the Mid-Term Report was sent to the European Commission in September 2020 requesting the second prefinancing (40% of the total budget). This second prefinancing, which allowed to carry out the most important part of the project, was received in December 2020.<\/li>\n
- It has been pointed out that small and medium-size enterprises play an essential role in this kind of projects. They generate jobs, they are rooted in the region in which the projects are carried out and they are dynamic, being sometimes able to solve the problems faster than big companies or institutions. On the contrary, in general terms, they are more sensitive to economic crisis. Up to 2020, the small enterprises beneficiaries of the project had supported a biggest part of the costs of the project without significant problems. The crisis generated by the Pandemic made that the situation became more critical.<\/li>\n
- Although the work in La Soterra\u00f1a site had to be slow down until the second prefinancing receipt, it could be possible to develop some work related to environmental impact mitigation and occupational diseases\/health and safety prevention.<\/li>\n
- In this way, during the summer and autumn 2020, some campaigns of measuring dust and mercury concentration in the air were carried out. From environmental point of view, it demonstrated that the site has not a relevant impact on its environment through the air. The result of the measuring was thar the concentration both dust and pollutants are far below the limits stablished by the standards. It was demonstrated that while no works are being done there is no risk of inhalation of harmful substances near the Pilot areas.<\/li>\n
- This is important because one of the objectives of the project is for the site to be visitable and the results reached can be seen in situ. But it is also important from occupational health and safety point of view. In effect, among the other recommendations to include in the Good Practices Guide to be elaborated, to define the necessary studies to carry out to stablish the level of risk before starting the works.<\/li>\n
- On the other hand, once the works start in the pilot areas, new measuring campaigns will be carried out to analize the working conditions.<\/li>\n
- Events: The project and its activities have been presented during 2020 in different events although obviously it was conditioned by the COVID-19 Pandemic.\n
\n- For example, the coordinating beneficiary presented a very interesting paper in an international congress in January 2020:\n
\n- Baraga\u00f1o, N. \u00c1lvarez, J.R. Gallego, A. Gonz\u00e1lez. 2020. Hybrid technologies for mine reclamation by means of nanomaterials, fertilization and phytoremediation. Second International Conference on Nanomaterials Applied to Life Sciences. Madrid January 2020.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
- The beneficiary EDP had planned to attend the \u201cXV International Congress on Energy and Mineral Resources\u201d which would be held in Le\u00f3n in October 2020. Nevertheless, the congress was delayed and finally suspended due to COVID-19 Pandemic.<\/li>\n
- Conference of the beneficiary R&R about the SUBproducts4LIFE for the Professional Association of Mining Engineers. \u201cLIFE Soterra\u00f1a: Concepto innovador de econom\u00eda circular (Innovative circular economy concepts by reusing industrial subproducts and waste)\u201d. 17\/12\/2020.<\/li>\n
- On the other hand, it is remarkable the research carried out by UNIOVI within the framework of the project which results have been published in two of the most prestigious journals in the world demonstrating the relevancy of the project at an international level:\n
\n- The new results of UNIOVI laboratory analysis had been reached and they had been published in the prestigious Journal of Hazardous Materials:\n
\n- Ayala J. Fern\u00e1ndez B. 2020. Industrial waste materials as adsorbents for the removal of As and other toxic elements from an abandoned mine spoil heap leachate: a case study in Asturias.<\/em> Journal of Hazardous Materials Volume 384 (2020) 121446.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
- On the other hand, a complete study of the initial situation of La Soterra\u00f1a Pilot sites has been published in the journal Science of the Total Environment.\n
\n- Fern\u00e1ndez B., et al. 2020. A multi-faceted, environmental forensic characterization of a paradigmatic brownfield polluted by hazardous waste containing Hg, As, PAHs and dioxins.<\/em> Science of the Total Environment 726 (2020) 138546.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
- In October, the regional press publishes a news with the headline \u201cgreen light, after 3 years of paperwork, for the project to clean the mine La Soterra\u00f1a\u201d. The news explains that the Principality of Asturias has granted the permissions to carry out the project SUBproducts4LIFE \u201ca European plan to start with the decontamination of the closed mercury mine La Soterra\u00f1a\u201d.<\/li>\n
- On 04\/12\/2020, the Spanish Ministry for the Ecologic Transition and Demographic Challenge (MITECO) publishes a press release pointing out that about \u20ac 59 would be invested in 2021 to improve the Environment in Asturias. At the end the news remarks \u201cit remarkable the project for the reclamation of the two mining sites La Soterra\u00f1a and El Terronal with a budget of approximately \u20ac 10 million. The next day the regional press reproduced the news.<\/li>\n
- Although it cannot be said that these new projects are a direct consequence of the project SUBproducts4LIFE, there is without any doubt a relationship between the new projects and the SUBproducts4LIFE project. The origin of the SUBproducts4LIFE was to investigate a solution for these \u201corphan\u201d waste disposals with high contaminant concentrations produced by the old, abandoned mines. On the other hand, the fact that SUBproducts4LIFE started after overpassing all the legal aspects contributed to select these sites for its reclamation with the public financing.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
\n- At the end of December, two news talk about the projects again. One of them talks about the imminent beginning of the works related to SUBproducts4LIFE \u201cthe decontamination of the old mine La Soterra\u00f1a, in Lena, will start at the beginning of the next year\u201d. The other talks about the national financing for La Soterra\u00f1a and El Terronal and it is pointed out that this financing is complementary to the European financing of the SUBproducts4LIFE.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>
- \n
- In December 2017 the necessary permits for the preparatory works are requested from the Le Council. The authorization will not be able until a year later. Unfortunately, the complex application of the Spanish legislation was one of the main problems during the project causing important delays.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/span>
Presentation of the project in the LIFE projects kick-off meeting in Brussels<\/p>\n<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>2018<\/h2>\n
- \n
- In March 2018 the necessary permits for the main works (pilot cases) are requested from the Principality of Asturias (PRAS). The authorization will not be able until two years later.<\/li>\n
- The activities progress during 2018 can be summarized in a simple sentence: practically the 100% in all the actions that only depend on the project partnership, e.g. elaboration of technical documentation, mapping etc., previous campaigns to take soil and water samples, creation of the website and other diffusion materials, etc. were completed.<\/li>\n
- Related to the development of pilot cases, the project partnership exploited all the possibilities and carried out every action to acquire the licenses and authorizations from the pertinent public bodies at a local (Council of Lena, AYTOLENA) and regional level (Principality of Asturias, PRAS), but implementation actions could not begin due to the delay in the authorisation.<\/li>\n
- In the project case, the delay is even more complicated due to the differences between the activities strictly considered by the law and the innovative actions that SUBproducts4LIFE aims to test and carry out.<\/li>\n
- An important part of the problem is that some national laws (e.g. Spanish law) find this project hard to classify. Although the law regulates how to deposit the \u201cpolluted waste\u201d into \u201cclean areas\u201d, the case of SUBproducts4LIFE does exactly the contrary action: clean materials on a polluted area.<\/li>\n
- The project will act close to a large mining waste disposal considering the law related to mining waste. However, PRAS found that a specific demolition waste considered in Pilot Case 2 (Action B2) should be treated according to the general law of industrial waste.<\/li>\n
- On the other hand, two different types of materials will be used, with different management requirements: industrial subproducts (gypsum and blast furnace slag) and industrial waste (coal ash and steelmaking slag). These aspects add complexity to the project. In this way, the authorities are currently being collaborative and are trying to find a way to solve discrepancies.<\/li>\n
- The local press published a new giving details about the delays and its negative effects for the project.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/span>
- \n
- In the framework of typical dissemination activities of the SUBproducts4LIFE, in February 2018 the coordinator Uniovi and the beneficiary Biosfera participated in a meeting with neighbours of the village Mu\u00f1\u00f3n Cimero the nearest village to La Soterra\u00f1a site.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div>
2019<\/h2>\n
- \n
- In March 2019, after the visit of the External Monitor, we sent the first \u201cProgress Report\u201d to the EASME, agency of the European Commission. At that moment it was clear that there was a delay, but it was assumable.<\/li>\n
- We have to say that at that moment we did not think that the delay would be a serious problem. The delay was produced later due to the requirements for the permits of the Principality of Asturias.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>
- \n
- The year 2019 was the one in which more work was carried out. The expectations at the end of year 2018 were to get approval and permissions from the public administration and to finish the work in La Soterra\u00f1a by final of 2019, however, the reality was quite different.<\/li>\n
- On February 25th, 2019, the same regional Authority issues a new requirement in which the modification of the project actions is requested for approval. In the same requirement, the installation of additional equipment and actions is also requested to guarantee the non-impact of the project to the land and nearby towns.<\/li>\n
- The regional Authority for the Environment authorizes the project SUBProducts4LIFE imposing several conditions in order to fulfil with the Spanish Law, which we considered not to be acceptable:\n
- \n
- Set up a bail for 200,000.00 \u20ac due to movement of up to 20,000 tons of materials; although is a quantity that huge companies like EDP or EDERSA can assume in their normal activity, it is clearly not assumable by the project.<\/li>\n
- The hiring of a liability and environmental insurance policy for the \u201crefurbishment and remediation of the environment\u201d; this is a condition that we cannot understand because the area in which the project is developed is already a highly contaminated one; in fact, and due to our exertions this condition has been avoided.<\/li>\n
- To consider as dangerous or hazardous waste any mix of subproducts with mining or production plant waste. This implied another requirement: to remove all the waste (both any subproduct which were introduced and existing mining\/plant waste); this requirement has no sense because it is against of the objectives of the project themselves.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
- At that moment, there were two possibilities: to finish the project or to modify the project in order to make it reliable. We decided to modify the project and to apply for the authorisation again. Simultaneously, we communicated the problems to the SUBproducts4LIFE project External Monitor. The modifications are the following:\n
- \n
- Reduction of the total amount of material (subproducts) to introduce in La Soterra\u00f1a in order to diminish the quantity of the bail required by the regional authority to an assumable value (only 3500 tons).<\/li>\n
- In Pilot Case 1, the mixing between subproducts and waste is reduced to a minimum and subproducts are used mainly to cover the materials of the upper old waste deposit and tail deposit.<\/li>\n
- In Pilot Case 2, the actions are now reduced to the treatment of high contaminated waste of production plant demolition in the lower level. In this case, mixing of subproducts and contaminated demolition waste is allowed under some conditions.<\/li>\n
- In Pilot Case 3 the actions will be carried out according to the initial project. Only the length of filter trenches\/channels (or its number) is reduced consequently with the reduction of the contaminated water flow rate.<\/li>\n
- The hiring of a liability insurance policy under the conditions assumable by insurance companies.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
- These modifications diminish the scope of the project (valorization of less quantity of subproducts); nevertheless other main objectives can be reached as for example the test with subproducts a real scale or the improvement\/remediation of mining site.<\/li>\n
- These modifications were communicated both the European Research Office of UNIOVI and the External Monitor of the Project and both considered that modifications were reasonable and if the regional authority authorizes the modifications, it would be possible to apply for an Amendment to the European Commission.<\/li>\n
- Once presented the modifications to the project, and as it is usual, the approval of regional authority is got under the following new conditions:\n
- \n
- Set up a bail for only 37,055.00\u20ac.<\/li>\n
- The hiring of a liability and environmental insurance policy.<\/li>\n
- Development of some preliminary works.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
- Taking into account that requirements were assumable, and with the aim to avoid new delays, we decided to start the preliminary works (the same as in the original project), a) to contact to financial entities and insurance companies to get the bail and insurance policy and, simultaneously, b) start the elaboration of the amendment.<\/li>\n
- The 11th of July 2019 the starting of the works is announced officially in a press conference at the Lena Council with the participation of all beneficiaries and other sponsors\/stakeholders. The new about the act celebration is published in the two regional newspapers of greatest circulation, La Nueva Espa\u00f1a and El Comercio.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/span><\/div>
La Nueva Espa\u00f1a news<\/p>\n<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>- \n
- From July 2019 and during the second semester of 2019, the preliminary works were carried out. In December 2019 only the impermeabilization of an area was pending. A more detailed description of these works is the following:\n
- \n
- Installation of perimeter fence (or repairing the existing one) and signalling:\n
- \n
- Some details of the fence are shown in photographs in figures 1.The planned security actions consisted in repairing partially the existing fence and placing new fence in order to prevent people and animals from accessing the project areas. A so called cinegetic fence will be erected; subsequently people who access the pilot area will be only those authorized to enter the project site (with the authorization of the project manager). Moreover, this fence, by preventing animals from entering the area, from drinking contaminated water or from eating contaminated grass or other materials, will itself contribute to improve the overall condition of the area and interrupt the contamination in the tropoch chain.On the other hand, in different areas, the inherent risk has been properly signalled.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/span><\/div>
Figure 1: Different aspects of the fence and signals<\/p>\n<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>- \n
- \n
- \n
- Provision of services: water, electricity, etc.\n
- \n
- These services are necessary for carrying out the preparatory actions. At the beginning, it was no necessary to use electricity due to all the machines are driven by Diesel engines, but later electricity generators were used. On the other hand, the necessary amount of water was supplied by means of water tanks.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
- Conditioning and preparing the area for personnel and machinery\n
- \n
- Two especial mobile containers are used to storage tools and for the workers (Figure 4). Machinery is parked in the covered area. No more facilities were necessary.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/span><\/div>
Figure 4: Area for personnel and machinery<\/p>\n<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>- \n
- \n
- \n
- Construction of a ditch above the landfill to avoid the access of rainwater from the outside\n
- \n
- The aim of this ditch (figure 2) is to reduce the flow of water that accesses to the area (and runs through contaminated material and waste), since this involves not only the generation of new contaminated water (spreading effect), but more importantly, a dilution effect which would lead to erroneous effectiveness results of the proposed methods.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/span><\/div>
Figure 2: Ditch above the landfill<\/p>\n<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>- \n
- \n
- \n
- The concrete floor of area for material storage should be uniform, it should be in good conditions, and it should be impermeable\n
- \n
- As it is shown in the photograph of Figure 5, there is an area covered by a roof in the site which was selected for the material storage in order to protect it from the rain. After cleaning the area, it was proved that the floor, made of thick plate of concrete, is in good conditions that assure it is impermeable.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/span><\/div>
Figure 5: Potential areas of materials storage (with and without roof)<\/p>\n<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>- \n
- \n
- \n
- Construct filter trenches with impermeable base\n
- \n
- In the original project, there was defined to excavate several \u201cfiltering trenches\u201d, several trenches in which materials would be mixed in order to study the positive effect of the subproducts for cleaning the water. After analysing the site, a new and better solution was found: to use channels instead of trenches. The channels (Figure 7) on the surface do not need excavate the concrete floor and the permemability Is not affected. On the other hand, it is easier to control and remediate a potential water leakage from filtering system.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/span><\/div>
Figure 7: Area of filtering channels<\/p>\n<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>- \n
- \n
- \n
- Ditch\/pipes network to collect water and to carry it to filtering channels\n
- \n
- It was built a pipe system to carry the contaminated water to the filtering area. It was necessary the excavation of auxiliary trenches and ditches to collect water. The installation of control manholes and regulation of flows in filtering channels was also carried out (Figure 3). At the entrance to the channels a deal manhole that allows the distribution of the different trench leachate becomes available. At the end of each trench a manhole to sampling and testing of decontamination treatment outcomes will be built<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/span><\/div>
Figure 3: Different manhole system in filtering area<\/p>\n<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>- \n
- \n
- \n
- Surface preparation in the area of the former production plant which contaminated waste from buildings demolition: the floor and the sides have to be impermeable (with geotextile) and there will be a drain network\n
- \n
- The treatments areas have been prepared by removing existing materials and reviewing the concrete floor and walls state that are in contact with waste and water. It was necessary to repair the floor with a layer of concrete (Figure 6). The application of geotextile and HDPE film to ensure the necessary waterproofing, was carried out in March 2020.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/span><\/div>
Figure 6: Area of pilot site 2 (treatment of contaminated waste from building demolition)<\/p>\n<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>- \n
- Once the works in La Soterra\u00f1a start, some neighbours showed some doubts about the project and a neighbour association made some questions to the Lena Council.<\/li>\n
- We always have collaborated with the Council of Lena Council in order to answer questions related to the project SUBProducts4LIFE made by the neighbour association. The answer must be a balance between the fulfilment of the regional law about \u201cTransparency, good governance and groups of interest\u201d and the respect to copyright or intellectual property rights of the companies and institutions forming part of the SUBproducts4LIFE consortium.<\/li>\n
- The regional press published some papers with the doubts of the neighbours about the project. For example, they though that the mine was to exploit mercury again. In other news the neighbour asked for the authorities to clarify if the industrial subprodutcs to be used in La Soterra\u00f1a could be dangerous.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
- \n
- Nevertheless, the news also included that neighbours of nearest villages to La Soterra\u00f1a were happy of the beginning of works to diminish the contamination of the former mining installations. Moreover, as the project was being developed, the doubts were disappearing, and more optimistic news showing a better knowledge about the project were published.<\/li>\n
- In this way, in August 2019 the regional press published a news in which La Soterra\u00f1a site was presented as a \u201cgreat Laboratory\u201d showing the true aim of the works to carry out there. On the other hand, in December 2019, when preliminary works were practically finished, another paper published \u201cLa Soterra\u00f1a shows its transformation\u201d and talk about the \u201cLearning centre\u201c which would start to describe the project.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
- \n
- In September 2019, the required bail was set up and in December 2019 the liability insurance policy was got.<\/li>\n
- At the end of 2019, almost all the preliminary works had been carried out; only the impermeabilization of the floor on which demolition waste of the former treatment plant would be put. Once this task was finished, the regional authority would carry out an inspection and give the definitive authorization.<\/li>\n
- As the works were being carried out in La Soterra\u00f1a, the project and its activities have been presented during 2019 in different events at different level and in different ways:\n
- \n
- In January 2019, a SUBproducts4LIFE poster was exhibited in the Universities G9 Commission of Research.<\/li>\n
- In March 2019 the project poster was exhibited in the Minerals, Gems and Fossils contest in the UNIOVI facilities.<\/li>\n
- In March, the coordinator UNIOVI attended the Innovation Camp on \u201cScience for a trasnsition to a circular economy of the processes industry in a Natural Paradise (Asturias)\u201d, carried out in Asturias (Spain) region which has been chosen as Science Meets Regions. Covadonga (Spain), 28\/03\/2019.<\/li>\n
- In April 2019 the beneficiary TECMIN participated in the \u201cSeminar on Mining and Circular Economy\u201d, carried out in Huelva, the most important mining region of the pyritic-belt in Spain with a relevant metal-base mining. Huelva (Spain). 05\/04\/2019.<\/li>\n
- In May 2019, the coordinator UNIOVI attended the 15th International Conference on Sustainable Use and Management of Soil, Sediments and Water Resources (AquaConSoil 2019). Belgium, 24\/05\/2019.<\/li>\n
- In June the coordinator UNIOVI attended the Seminar on \u201cSuccessful cases of the University of Oviedo, LIFE Environment and Resources Efficiency\u201d in the most representative international projects were described. Oviedo 28\/06\/2019.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
2020<\/h2>\n
- \n
- The year 2020 was the year of the COVID-19 Pandemic. At the beginning it seemed that the Pandemic influence would not be very negative, nevertheless the negative effects along the year were dramatic<\/li>\n
- At the end of 2019, the new treatment area (placed where the former production plant\/furnace was) was already prepared. The concrete floor and walls that will be in contact with waste and water were reviewed and it was necessary to repair the floor with a layer of concrete.<\/li>\n
- During the first months of 2020, a small concrete wall has been built along the perimeter of this area, where there is not an existing wall (see the figures).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/span><\/div>
Figure: The area with the concrete floor and the concrete wall<\/p>\n<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>- \n
- Finally, the 11th of March, the waterproofing of the area was carried out by a specialized company. There was a certain delay because the bad weather and the availability of the company (they are companies that works only at a big scale).<\/li>\n
- At the bottom and at the sides of the action area (former production plant\/furnace), a geotextile material and an impermeable sheet of PEAD material have been put as a second barrier against water leakage. The control and supervision of impermeabilization has been carried out by an external laboratory.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/span><\/div>
Figure: Geotextile material and impermeable sheet of PEAD material<\/p>\n<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>- \n
- In Figure, the initial and final appearance of the area of former treatment plant and new area for treatment of the waste of building demolition are shown.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/span><\/div>
Figure: Initial situation and new treatment area for this waste of building demolition<\/p>\n<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>- \n
- Just after finishing the preparatory works, the COVID-19 Pandemic was declared. At the beginning it seemed that the COVID19 crisis is only would cause minor problems. For example, at that moment the Pandemic caused a delay in all the decisions of the regional Authorities; the general prohibition of accessing to the University buildings became a problem because the remote working of all the personal produced sometimes problems in systems; due to commuting restrictions (no permissions for travelling) we had to avoid a meeting with the Monitoring Expert planned for March (it was carried out in September), etc<\/li>\n
- Obviously, during the first months of 2020, the main news in the newspapers were those related to COVID-19 Pandemic. Nevertheless, on 08\/04\/2020 the following new was published in the regional newspaper La Nueva Espa\u00f1a: \u201cLa Soterra\u00f1a, already to be decontaminated when the normality returns. The technics in charge of the project, with a global budget of \u20ac 1.7 million, have finished the preparatory works before the state of alarm was decreed\u201d. And in 07\/07\/2020 the same newspaper published another new with the following headline: \u201cLa Soterra\u00f1a is already prepared for receiving the industrial waste which will decontaminate the soil. The works manager waits for the last permits to carry to the site the materials that fix the mercury preventing the spread of contamination\u201d.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
- \n
- Once the worst effects of the \u201cfirst wave\u201d of the Pandemic had passed, it seemed that the project would develop normally. In this way, following the stablished procedures, in September 2020 the External Monitoring Teem carried out their monitoring visit. On the other hand, in October 2020 the European Commission approved the Amendment to the project requested in July.<\/li>\n
- Unfortunately, after summer 2020, the negative effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic are felt. As in the rest of the world, the stop of a relevant part of the activity of the industries during 6 months in Spain makes the economic activity to bring down. Many companies stop their projects the economy does not flow. It is a generalized fact that small companies started to suffer economic and financial stress. They were not commissioned any work, or they did not collet on time the amounts corresponding to work carried out. It became worse when in October\/November it is verified that the Pandemic has not finished yet and new \u201cwaves\u201d of contagion are being produced.<\/li>\n
- All these facts caused the project to slow down. Another relevant problem detected is that, during this period, a small company like GSERVICE had to support more than 60% of their budget when they only had received 30%. This unbalanced distribution generated difficulties to GSERVICE although fortunately all the preparatory works could be finished. Nevertheless, at that moment, to follow the works without new financing was difficult.<\/li>\n
- At that moment, the progress of the project had meant an expense for all beneficiaries of 30%, corresponding to the first prefinancing received. Therefore, according to the rules of the LIFE program, the Mid-Term Report was sent to the European Commission in September 2020 requesting the second prefinancing (40% of the total budget). This second prefinancing, which allowed to carry out the most important part of the project, was received in December 2020.<\/li>\n
- It has been pointed out that small and medium-size enterprises play an essential role in this kind of projects. They generate jobs, they are rooted in the region in which the projects are carried out and they are dynamic, being sometimes able to solve the problems faster than big companies or institutions. On the contrary, in general terms, they are more sensitive to economic crisis. Up to 2020, the small enterprises beneficiaries of the project had supported a biggest part of the costs of the project without significant problems. The crisis generated by the Pandemic made that the situation became more critical.<\/li>\n
- Although the work in La Soterra\u00f1a site had to be slow down until the second prefinancing receipt, it could be possible to develop some work related to environmental impact mitigation and occupational diseases\/health and safety prevention.<\/li>\n
- In this way, during the summer and autumn 2020, some campaigns of measuring dust and mercury concentration in the air were carried out. From environmental point of view, it demonstrated that the site has not a relevant impact on its environment through the air. The result of the measuring was thar the concentration both dust and pollutants are far below the limits stablished by the standards. It was demonstrated that while no works are being done there is no risk of inhalation of harmful substances near the Pilot areas.<\/li>\n
- This is important because one of the objectives of the project is for the site to be visitable and the results reached can be seen in situ. But it is also important from occupational health and safety point of view. In effect, among the other recommendations to include in the Good Practices Guide to be elaborated, to define the necessary studies to carry out to stablish the level of risk before starting the works.<\/li>\n
- On the other hand, once the works start in the pilot areas, new measuring campaigns will be carried out to analize the working conditions.<\/li>\n
- Events: The project and its activities have been presented during 2020 in different events although obviously it was conditioned by the COVID-19 Pandemic.\n
- \n
- For example, the coordinating beneficiary presented a very interesting paper in an international congress in January 2020:\n
- \n
- Baraga\u00f1o, N. \u00c1lvarez, J.R. Gallego, A. Gonz\u00e1lez. 2020. Hybrid technologies for mine reclamation by means of nanomaterials, fertilization and phytoremediation. Second International Conference on Nanomaterials Applied to Life Sciences. Madrid January 2020.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
- The beneficiary EDP had planned to attend the \u201cXV International Congress on Energy and Mineral Resources\u201d which would be held in Le\u00f3n in October 2020. Nevertheless, the congress was delayed and finally suspended due to COVID-19 Pandemic.<\/li>\n
- Conference of the beneficiary R&R about the SUBproducts4LIFE for the Professional Association of Mining Engineers. \u201cLIFE Soterra\u00f1a: Concepto innovador de econom\u00eda circular (Innovative circular economy concepts by reusing industrial subproducts and waste)\u201d. 17\/12\/2020.<\/li>\n
- On the other hand, it is remarkable the research carried out by UNIOVI within the framework of the project which results have been published in two of the most prestigious journals in the world demonstrating the relevancy of the project at an international level:\n
- \n
- The new results of UNIOVI laboratory analysis had been reached and they had been published in the prestigious Journal of Hazardous Materials:\n
- \n
- Ayala J. Fern\u00e1ndez B. 2020. Industrial waste materials as adsorbents for the removal of As and other toxic elements from an abandoned mine spoil heap leachate: a case study in Asturias.<\/em> Journal of Hazardous Materials Volume 384 (2020) 121446.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
- On the other hand, a complete study of the initial situation of La Soterra\u00f1a Pilot sites has been published in the journal Science of the Total Environment.\n
- \n
- Fern\u00e1ndez B., et al. 2020. A multi-faceted, environmental forensic characterization of a paradigmatic brownfield polluted by hazardous waste containing Hg, As, PAHs and dioxins.<\/em> Science of the Total Environment 726 (2020) 138546.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
- In October, the regional press publishes a news with the headline \u201cgreen light, after 3 years of paperwork, for the project to clean the mine La Soterra\u00f1a\u201d. The news explains that the Principality of Asturias has granted the permissions to carry out the project SUBproducts4LIFE \u201ca European plan to start with the decontamination of the closed mercury mine La Soterra\u00f1a\u201d.<\/li>\n
- On 04\/12\/2020, the Spanish Ministry for the Ecologic Transition and Demographic Challenge (MITECO) publishes a press release pointing out that about \u20ac 59 would be invested in 2021 to improve the Environment in Asturias. At the end the news remarks \u201cit remarkable the project for the reclamation of the two mining sites La Soterra\u00f1a and El Terronal with a budget of approximately \u20ac 10 million. The next day the regional press reproduced the news.<\/li>\n
- Although it cannot be said that these new projects are a direct consequence of the project SUBproducts4LIFE, there is without any doubt a relationship between the new projects and the SUBproducts4LIFE project. The origin of the SUBproducts4LIFE was to investigate a solution for these \u201corphan\u201d waste disposals with high contaminant concentrations produced by the old, abandoned mines. On the other hand, the fact that SUBproducts4LIFE started after overpassing all the legal aspects contributed to select these sites for its reclamation with the public financing.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>
<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>- \n
- At the end of December, two news talk about the projects again. One of them talks about the imminent beginning of the works related to SUBproducts4LIFE \u201cthe decontamination of the old mine La Soterra\u00f1a, in Lena, will start at the beginning of the next year\u201d. The other talks about the national financing for La Soterra\u00f1a and El Terronal and it is pointed out that this financing is complementary to the European financing of the SUBproducts4LIFE.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>
- On the other hand, a complete study of the initial situation of La Soterra\u00f1a Pilot sites has been published in the journal Science of the Total Environment.\n
- Ayala J. Fern\u00e1ndez B. 2020. Industrial waste materials as adsorbents for the removal of As and other toxic elements from an abandoned mine spoil heap leachate: a case study in Asturias.<\/em> Journal of Hazardous Materials Volume 384 (2020) 121446.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
- The new results of UNIOVI laboratory analysis had been reached and they had been published in the prestigious Journal of Hazardous Materials:\n
- For example, the coordinating beneficiary presented a very interesting paper in an international congress in January 2020:\n
- In Figure, the initial and final appearance of the area of former treatment plant and new area for treatment of the waste of building demolition are shown.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>
- The treatments areas have been prepared by removing existing materials and reviewing the concrete floor and walls state that are in contact with waste and water. It was necessary to repair the floor with a layer of concrete (Figure 6). The application of geotextile and HDPE film to ensure the necessary waterproofing, was carried out in March 2020.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>
- Surface preparation in the area of the former production plant which contaminated waste from buildings demolition: the floor and the sides have to be impermeable (with geotextile) and there will be a drain network\n
- \n
- It was built a pipe system to carry the contaminated water to the filtering area. It was necessary the excavation of auxiliary trenches and ditches to collect water. The installation of control manholes and regulation of flows in filtering channels was also carried out (Figure 3). At the entrance to the channels a deal manhole that allows the distribution of the different trench leachate becomes available. At the end of each trench a manhole to sampling and testing of decontamination treatment outcomes will be built<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>
- Ditch\/pipes network to collect water and to carry it to filtering channels\n
- \n
- In the original project, there was defined to excavate several \u201cfiltering trenches\u201d, several trenches in which materials would be mixed in order to study the positive effect of the subproducts for cleaning the water. After analysing the site, a new and better solution was found: to use channels instead of trenches. The channels (Figure 7) on the surface do not need excavate the concrete floor and the permemability Is not affected. On the other hand, it is easier to control and remediate a potential water leakage from filtering system.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>
- Construct filter trenches with impermeable base\n
- \n
- As it is shown in the photograph of Figure 5, there is an area covered by a roof in the site which was selected for the material storage in order to protect it from the rain. After cleaning the area, it was proved that the floor, made of thick plate of concrete, is in good conditions that assure it is impermeable.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>
- The concrete floor of area for material storage should be uniform, it should be in good conditions, and it should be impermeable\n
- \n
- The aim of this ditch (figure 2) is to reduce the flow of water that accesses to the area (and runs through contaminated material and waste), since this involves not only the generation of new contaminated water (spreading effect), but more importantly, a dilution effect which would lead to erroneous effectiveness results of the proposed methods.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>
- Construction of a ditch above the landfill to avoid the access of rainwater from the outside\n
- \n
- Two especial mobile containers are used to storage tools and for the workers (Figure 4). Machinery is parked in the covered area. No more facilities were necessary.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>
- Provision of services: water, electricity, etc.\n
- \n
- Some details of the fence are shown in photographs in figures 1.The planned security actions consisted in repairing partially the existing fence and placing new fence in order to prevent people and animals from accessing the project areas. A so called cinegetic fence will be erected; subsequently people who access the pilot area will be only those authorized to enter the project site (with the authorization of the project manager). Moreover, this fence, by preventing animals from entering the area, from drinking contaminated water or from eating contaminated grass or other materials, will itself contribute to improve the overall condition of the area and interrupt the contamination in the tropoch chain.On the other hand, in different areas, the inherent risk has been properly signalled.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>
- Installation of perimeter fence (or repairing the existing one) and signalling:\n
- From July 2019 and during the second semester of 2019, the preliminary works were carried out. In December 2019 only the impermeabilization of an area was pending. A more detailed description of these works is the following:\n
- In the framework of typical dissemination activities of the SUBproducts4LIFE, in February 2018 the coordinator Uniovi and the beneficiary Biosfera participated in a meeting with neighbours of the village Mu\u00f1\u00f3n Cimero the nearest village to La Soterra\u00f1a site.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>