Environmental monitoring, transparency and accountability beyond the usual practices in Greece – Economic Post – 2024-02-19 06:15:27

Environmental monitoring refers to methods and tools for measuring and evaluating environmental parameters of an area, which allow the collection of data and open access to them by control mechanisms, institutional bodies, but also all interested parties to the general public.

The main objective of environmental monitoring is management and the minimization of impacts of an economic activity in the natural environment and human health, as well as the continuous compliance with the current regulatory framework. Especially for the extractive industry, whose activities pose significant environmental challenges, environmental monitoring is almost synonymous with its very existence.

In Northeastern Halkidiki and specifically in the Kassandra Mines, Hellinikon Chrysos, a subsidiary of the Eldorado Gold Group, has progressed, as early as 2016, from theory to practice. Adhering to the principles of responsible mining activity and constantly striving for excellence in the whole range of its operations, it has developed and installed, within and also in the surrounding area of ​​its mining facilities, one of the most modern, sophisticated and integrated environmental monitoring systems internationally.

The integrated Environmental Monitoring Program of Hellinikon Chrysos is a valuable tool that emerged with systematic work and cooperation between people of many different scientific specialties. It is an investment with initial installation costs of more than 4 million euros and annual operation and maintenance costs approaching 2 million euros.

In combination with the large environmental rehabilitation program of the area from the long-term previous mining activity, which is the largest corresponding rehabilitation program that has ever been carried out in Greece, with a total cost of more than 120 million euros, it guarantees the strictest environmental protection standards with simultaneously minimizing the overall environmental footprint of the activity.

For the needs of the environmental monitoring program, Hellinikon Chrysos has installed one network of 500 stationswho have modern equipment, through which 13 specific environmental parameters are recorded, controlled, qualitatively examined and quantitatively measured. In this way, the entire range of possible direct and indirect effects of the mining activity that are related to or may affect the Municipality of Aristoteli is covered. Indicatively, the program examines parameters such as the quality of rivers and coastal waters in the area, the quality of groundwater and drinking water, the levels of noise and vibration, dust emissions, the atmospheric quality in the settlements of the area, the ecological status of the area’s biodiversity ( flora and fauna) etc.

All data collected, freely available and it is permanently accessible to interested parties, the Local Government and the general public through a publicly accessible online platform, available at environmental.hellas-gold.com.

Through the Environmental Monitoring Program, Greek Gold respectfully continues the centuries-old mining tradition of the place, modernizes and develops its mining activities, identifies any points for improvement, while combining excellence in safety and environmental protection.

The Environmental Monitoring Program proves in practice that Greek Gold constantly puts its harmonious coexistence with the local communities and the environment that host it as an absolute priority. Through the strictest network of control mechanisms and management procedures it has developed, the environmental monitoring program proves in practice that to achieve environmental, corporate and social goals, a key element is transparency. And it is precisely this transparency that runs through the entire operations of Hellinikons Chrysos, which constitutes the cornerstone of its corporate strategy and ultimately makes the mining activity a dynamic sponsor of progress and sustainability for the entire region of NE Halkidiki.