{{Short description|Dam failure releasing toxic mine tailings in Andalusia, southern Spain}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2024}} {{Infobox event | image = | image_upright = | image_alt = | caption = | native_name = Desastre de Aznalcóllar | native_name_lang = es | english_name = Aznalcóllar disaster | time = 03:30 | timezone = CEST | date = {{start date|1998|04|25|df=yes}} | location = Aznalcóllar, Seville, Spain | coordinates = {{coord|37.492603|-6.225202|region:ES-SE_type:event|display=inline}}, | type = Environmental disaster | cause = Embankment failure | outcome = Toxic spill | casualties1 = None | casualties2 = {{cvt|170|kg}} of crayfish and {{cvt|37.4|t}} of fish | arrests = Several, including public employees }} The '''Doñana Disaster''', also known as the '''Aznalcollar Disaster''' or '''Guadiamar Disaster''' ({{langx|es|Desastre de Aznalcóllar}}, {{lang|es|Desastre del Guadiamar}}), was an industrial accident in Andalusia, southern Spain. On {{date|25 April 1998}}, a holding dam burst at the '''Los Frailes mine''', near Aznalcóllar, Seville, releasing {{convert|4|-|5|e6m3|acre foot}} of mine tailings. The acidic tailings, which contained dangerous levels of several heavy metals, quickly reached the nearby River Agrio, and then its parent river, the River Guadiamar, travelling about {{convert|40|km}} along these waterways and covering an area of {{convert|4600|ha}} before they could be stopped.<ref>{{citation | title = El desastre ecológico de Aznalcóllar |trans-title=The ecological disaster of Aznalcóllar |language=es | last1 = Aguilar Ruiz | first1 = José | last2 = Dorronsoro Fernández | first2 = Carlos | last3 = Fernández Ondoño | first3 = Emilia | last4 = Fernández García | first4 = Juan | last5 = García Fernández | first5 = Inés | last6 = Martín Peinado | first6 = Francisco | last7 = Ortiz Bernad | first7 = Irene | last8 = Simón Torres | first8 = Mariano | url = http://edafologia.ugr.es/donana/aznal.htm | publisher = University of Granada | accessdate = 10 October 2010 | archive-date = 17 March 2011 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110317050659/http://edafologia.ugr.es/donana/aznal.htm | url-status = live | date = 2000}}</ref> The Guadiamar is the main water source for the Doñana National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the largest national parks in Europe.<ref>{{citation | doi = 10.1016/S0043-1354(99)00282-1 | title = Impact of Los Frailes mine spill on riverine, estuarine and coastal waters in southern Spain | last1 = Achterberg | first1 = Eric P. | last2 = Braungardt | first2 = Charlotte | last3 = Morley | first3 = Nick H. | last4 = Elbaz-Poulichet | first4 = Françoise | last5 = Leblanc | first5 = Marc | journal = Water Research | volume = 33 | issue = 16 | pages = 3387–3394 | date = November 1999 | publisher = International Water Association| bibcode = 1999WatRe..33.3387A }}.</ref><ref name="Reuters">{{citation | url = http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/239/newsDate/7-Apr-1999/story.htm | title = Boliden Says To Reopen Aznalcollar On Tuesday | date = 7 April 1999 | work = PlanetArk | url-status = usurped | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160303173406/http://planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/239/newsDate/7-Apr-1999/story.htm | archive-date = 3 March 2016}}, Reuters.</ref> The cleanup operation took three years, at an estimated cost of {{currency|240 million|EUR|passthrough=yes}}.<ref>{{citation | title = El desastre que amenazó Doñana |trans-title=The disaster that threatened Doñana |language=es | url = https://elpais.com/diario/2010/10/06/sociedad/1286316006_850215.html | newspaper = El País | date = 6 October 2010 | url-access = subscription}}.</ref>
The Los Frailes mine is owned by Boliden-Apirsa (formerly Andaluza de Piritas, S.A.), the Spanish subsidiary of Boliden, and produces about {{cvt|125000|t}} of zinc and {{convert|2.9|e6ozt}} of silver per year.<ref name="Reuters"/>
== History == The park is one of Europe’s best known conservation areas and has been designated a UNESCO biosphere reserve, a Ramsar Wetland Site, and a UNESCO World Heritage site.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/parks/donana-spain/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110416092113/http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/parks/donana-spain/|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 16, 2011|title=Donana National Park, Spain|date=2011-04-08|website=National Geographic}}</ref> The park’s past includes a well-chronicled human history stretching back 700 years.<ref name=":0" /> In its first year of operation in 1997, Boliden produced {{convert|180000|t}} of zinc, lead, copper and silver from {{convert|4|e6t}} of ore.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|url=https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/1999/01/span-j19.html|title=World scientists meet to discuss Coto de Doñana disaster|last=Short|first=Vicky|website=wsws.org|date=19 January 1999 }}</ref>
== National Park == Doñana National Park, just east of Portugal, is located between two provinces of Andalucia, Seville and Huelva. It is notable for the great diversity of its biotopes, especially lagoons, marshlands, fixed and mobile dunes, scrub woodland and maquis.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/685/|title=Doñana National Park|website=UNESCO}}</ref> As one of the continent's biggest natural reserves, Doñana is also host of a large variety of bird species. Because of its location and close proximity between Africa and Europe, more than half a million birds winter in the park each year, and perhaps half of Europe’s bird species can be spotted here at one time or another.<ref name=":1" />
== Environmental effects == thumb|Aznalcóllar mine.
As a result of the ecological disaster, nothing survived because of the high acidity of the waste, which contained a mixture of lead, copper, zinc, cadmium and other metals, along with sulphides,<ref name=":3" /> The industrial disaster led to a chain of serious environmental issues in the Andalusia region. A not very visible toxic chain spread through the nature which was difficult to break down.<ref name=":2">{{citation |title=Year-Old Spill Poisons Farms and Wild Food Chain|last=Marlise|first=Simons|newspaper=The New York Times|date=24 May 2005|id ={{ProQuest|431170966}}}}</ref> High levels of heavy metals are still embedded in soil and water and have found a way into the wildlife.<ref name=":2" /> Another major problem lies in the health of the animals that lived around the park. In this mixture of swamps and woodlands, 300 species of birds breed, feed or stop over on their migratory route between Northern Europe and Africa.<ref name=":2" /> This migration soon came to an end when the dam burst; almost 2,000 birds, chicks, eggs, and nests were killed or destroyed and {{cvt|37400|kg}} of dead fish (mainly carps, mullets, Andalusian barbels, and eels) were collected in the aftermath.<ref name=":4">{{citation |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/apr/27/spanish-wildlife-park-under-threat|title=Spain's wetlands wonder is under threat for a second time in 16 years|last=McKie|first=Robin|date=26 April 2014|newspaper=The Guardian}}</ref><ref>{{citation |url=https://elpais.com/sociedad/2008/04/25/album/1209074401_910215.html |title=10 años del desastre de Aznalcóllar |trans-title=10 years since the Aznalcóllar disaster|date=25 April 2008 |language=es |newspaper=El País}}</ref><ref>{{citation |title=El desastre de Aznalcóllar, a juicio 25 años después |trans-title=The Aznalcóllar disaster taken to court after 25 years |language=es |newspaper=La Razón |date=4 July 2023 |first=Elena |last=Genillo |url=https://www.larazon.es/sociedad/desastre-aznalcollar-juicio-25-anos-despues_2023070464a39a4a3edc3a000105bd3b.html}}</ref>
== Economic consequences == Boliden-Apirsa, who own the mine, has spent more than {{currency|52 million|USD|passthrough=yes}} cleaning up, repairing damage and reimbursing farmers for lost crops.<ref name=":2" /> Most of the cleaning that was done by the clean up crews was dumped into a large ditch that was empty. As a result, most of the area that was affected is now new and clean. This was the country's worst environmental disaster. The cleanup cost as of 2002 was reported to be €276M.<ref>{{citation |first=David M. |last=Chambers |url=http://www.csp2.org/files/reports/Long%20Term%20Risk%20of%20Releasing%20Potentially%20Acid%20Producing%20Waste%20Due%20to%20Tailings%20Dam%20Failure%20-%20ICARD%2023May12.pdf |title=Long Term Risk of Releasing Potentially Acid Producing Waste Due to Tailings Dam Failure |pages=7,12 |publisher=Center for Science in Public Participation |date=May 2012}}</ref> In 2014, ''The Guardian'' reported that Spain had decided to further spend €360M on restoring the landscape.<ref name=":4" />
== Projects == Although the Doñana Disaster turned out to be one of the worst catastrophes in Europe, there have been speculations about reopening the long gone mine. One reason for opposition is that the area is home to thousands of birds that migrate from different continents. The main reason for reopening the mine is an economic one; that there is still profitable ore there, and reopening the mine could provide 1,000 jobs.<ref name=":4" /> The process might not be as easy to accomplish as some suggest, reopening the mine could lead to another burst. Nonetheless, the secretary-general for Innovation, Industry and Energy of Andalucía, Vicente Fernández Guerrero, explained that the mine license would stipulate that only modern mining techniques would be allowed. It also stipulated that Boliden-Apirsa could not bid for the contract. Twenty six years after the accident the two sides remain locked over compensation claims <ref name=":4" /> Fernández Guerrero also included that no liquid could be used under the exercise of the best technology in the world, which would avoid the creation of poisonous wet tailings.<ref name=":4" />
== See also == * Baia Mare cyanide spill (2000) * Health crisis * Val di Stava dam collapse (1985) * Ajka alumina plant accident (2010)
== References == {{Reflist}} * {{citation |last=Ginige |first=Tilak |date=2002 |title=Mining Waste: The Aznalcóllar Tailings Pond Failure |journal=European Energy and Environmental Law Review |volume=11 |issue=3 |pages=76–88 |doi=10.54648/405978 |publisher=Wolters Kluwer|s2cid=127059884 }}
==External links== * [http://www.wise-uranium.org/mdaflf.html The Los Frailes tailings dam failure (Aznalcóllar, Spain)] from the World Information Service on Energy
{{coord|37.492603|-6.225202|region:ES-SE_type:event|display=title}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Donana Disaster}} Category:Environmental disasters in Europe Category:Mining disasters in Spain Category:Environmental issues in Spain Category:Water pollution in Spain Category:History of the Province of Seville Category:Iberian Pyritic Belt Category:Waste disposal incidents Category:1998 mining disasters Category:1998 in Andalusia Category:1998 in the environment Category:Tailings dam failures Category:April 1998 in Europe Category:Dam failures in Europe Category:1998 disasters in Spain