Fraternity-Testvériség, 2000 (78. évfolyam, 1-4. szám)
2000-04-01 / 2. szám
Page 12 TESTVÉRISÉG Ecological Disasters Hit Hungary’s Rivers In the first quarter of the new millcnium, Hungary was hit by two ecological disasters along its second largest river, the Tisza, and its tributaries. These unfortunate blows to Hungary’s people and its environment consisted of the multiple water pollution catastrophes and the unusual flooding which took place in a short three month period. The problems began when on January 30th the reservoir dam of a non-ferrous metal extracting plant in Romania ruptured, thereby releasing almost 100,000m3 of waste water containing cyanide into the Szamos river. The contaminants reached the Hungarian border two days later, at which time the cyanide levels in the Tisza were 180 times greater than the “very polluted” category! During the 12 days it took the water to reach the Yugoslav border, heavy metals were also released into the water. On March 10th, the collapse of a reservoir wall at a similar facility in Romania let an additional 20,000 tons of heavy metals including zinc and lead spill into another tributary of the Tisza. A third spill on March 28th at another plant of the same mining company dumped another batch of heavy metals into the river, causing lead measurements 2.7 times higher than the admissible European level. The pollution of the mentioned rivers caused ecological damage to wildlife and humans alike. Within the first few days, fishermen removed hundreds of tons of dead fish from the surface of the Tisza, and 90-95% of phylo- and zooplanktons were wiped out in the Szamos alone. It is estimated that at least 3 to 5 years are necessary for the reestablishment of former conditions. Besides the ecological damage, the pollution of the Tisza affected the health and livelihood of hundreds of thousands of Hungarians. The Hungarian government has sought the help of international organizations in both assessing the damages and assisting in recovery. Hungary will also claim compensation for damages from those responsible. April did not bring any good news for Hungary’s rivers either, when the “greatest flood in the last 500 years” hit the Tisza. Thousands of people including the military and volunteers helped re-enforce Hood walls, while several villages in northern Hungary still had to be evacuated. Records were broken all along the river, as the water levels continued to rise. In Szolnok, the river measured 1041 cm—reaching the top of sandbags, before it began to withdraw. It is estimated that the water levels along the Tisza will return to normal by late May. By Rita Kovach Sources: Embassy of Hungary’s Hungary for News, Vol. II, No. 2. April 2000, and the MTI, www.mti.hu Pictures by Tibor Kocsis, WWF (www.duna.org) and Externet Kft. (www.extemet.hu). Employment Opportunities at the Home Office of the HRFA To meet the challenges of the life insurance industry, the HRFA has immediate openings for the following positions: Marketing Coordinator Sales Coordinator Fraternal Activities Coordinator These are full-time positions based at the Home Office in Washington, D.C. and are not subject to membership limitation (i.e., anyone can apply). We offer good salaries and benefits and a pleasant working environment. Please call President George Dózsa at 202-328-2630/toll-free 1-888-567-7884 or fax your resume to 202-328- 7984 or email it to hrfa@erols.com. To learn more about our society, visit our Website at www.hrfa.org
