The Environment

 

Air Quality. The air is of good quality, with CMA values under 17 g/m²/month. The main air pollution sources are: cars, the machinery used by the National Coal Company and the uncontrolled garbage disposal.

Water Quality. The East Jiu crosses the locality from East to West. The Maleia, Slatinioara and Salatruc creeks flow in the East Jiu. The surface water pollution is accounted by the in-flow of: untreated sewage, untreated water used for industrial purposes, incomplete treated water from Livezeni Water Treatment plant and untreated water used for the washing of coal.
The Environment Protection Agency from Deva released data stating that the coal residues evacuated in the Jiu River due to filter and treatment plants malfunction is 53 tons/day, therefore, 77 thousands tons/year. The other pollution sources are: the acid rains that appear due to gases and particle emissions of S.E. Paroseni and the uncontrolled disposal of garbage.

Soil Quality The territory of Petrosani, according to geo-technical divisions, is partitioned in four zones with different characteristics:

· The First Division - lies in the South of the city, on the old heap of barren rock leftover from the Mine of Petrila. The soil is composed by coal residue from the Petrila Preparation. The zone is not fit for construction.
· The Second Division - the central area of Petrosani, located on the conference of the low terrace of the Jiu with the mountain slopes. The soil is composed of sandstone, rubble, and loam. The terrain is fit for building, but it asks for increased care with open excavations.
· The Third Division - lies in the upper meadow of Jiu in the Aeroport area. Silt deposits and loam and sand dust compose the soil. The terrain is fit for construction works and only foundations must be consolidated.
· The Forth Division - the Jiu meadow, West of the railway. The soil is composed of silt and gravel deposits and loam dust. The terrain is fit for construction, but the functional spaces below terrain level must receive special attention.

The main pollution sources are the coal residue heaps from Dâlja and Livezeni Mines.

Forest Quality. In the mountainous area the resinous, beech, and deciduous forests are the most common. In the hills the most common forests are beech. Forests cover 59.09 % of the surface of the territory that falls within the administrative jurisdiction of Petrosani. The forests are the property of ROMSILVA. The forests are divided into two classes:

- First Group - Forests meant for environment protection - water, soil, terrain protection as well as the protection against climatic and industrial damaging factors. The forests meant for recreational and research purposes and, furthermore, the forests meant for the safeguard of the ecological equilibrium are also included in this category. The law prohibits the harvest of lumber from this category of forests.
- Second Group - forests meant for harvest and protection - the aforementioned are exploited for lumber and other goods while they are also destined to safeguard the environment's quality.

The goods exploited from the forests are: lumber, mushrooms, berries, medicinal plants, game and fish.
The game consists of many valuable species like deer, bear, and roebuck. The fish fund is ensured by trout repopulations. The sporting hunting and fishing is legal.
As a conclusion, the forests constitute a valuable resource of Petrosani. Therefore, their rational exploitation must be an imperative demand from any long-term development program.

Protected Areas. Within the administrative territory of Petrosani there are two protected areas: the "Momârlani" area- Jiu Valley and the "Piatra Crinului" area from Parângu Mic mountains. Their total surface is of 0,5 hectares.

Waste Management. The city waste is pre-collected in 416 points: 66 big containers (4 m²) and 350 Europubele (105 m²). Each year around 40,000 m² of city waste is gathered. The waste is transported to the city's waste deposit, which is 10 km away. The waste deposit is paced on the refuse heap of Petrila mine. The maintenance of the dumpsite is done through bulldozer leveling.

Special Opportunities in the Area:

1. Natural Resources: mineral coal and forests
2. Tourist and Recreational potential

Environment issues:

1. The refuse Issue (the common deposits of the refuse within Petrila).
The collection structure of Petrosani city:
· Households collecting points: 152
· 329 containers
· Households collecting points with:
- containers of 4 m3: in number 93
- euro trash bins: 72
- pre-collecting rooms (boxes): 8
· 99% Households collecting points are not surrounded by a yard, which presumes arranging them and supplementing the recipients

The wastes are transported with an auto trash truck and five auto-compactors for depositing them in the inactive branches 1, 2, and 3 of the Petrila Preparation, and for leveling a bulldozer is used (these are the minimum measures that can be taken).

The composition of urban wastes:
- paper: 13.5%
- glass: 5.3%
- metal: 5.3%
- plastic materials: 5.5 %
- textiles: 5%
- others: 65.4%
approximate 6.845 tons

2. Pollution of the river Jiu
- Starting with the month of August the indicators were not respected anymore
- the figures of the indicators are much to big and show the existence of coal suspensions
- there were sources of pollution which evacuated unfiltered polluted water in the receptor (July, August, September)

3. Pollution resulted from thermo-electric power plants with smoke and coal suspensions
- 2 CET - 1 INSEMEX - coal
- Dacia area on the bank of Jiu
Pollution resulted from homes where fireplaces with coal as solid fuel are used

4. In the Parangul Mic area - there aren't any collecting points for wastes (the chalets have their own collecting system)
- There are no contracts with natural persons
- the wastes are thrown in the forest
- there is no sewerage or septic fosses(?)
- utilized waters are dumped in the forest
- many construction materials are deposited in green areas
- wood, sawdust are left on the soil

Programs:

A new plan for managing the wastes under the guiding of I.P.M. Deva and the Medium Minister is being considered, which would include all the stages regarding the route of wastes, from collecting to actual depositing. The proposal for the project was made to the Petrila Preparation for an ecologic deposit funded by MAAR (too little inhabitants, 70000) at the same place. Total value of the project: 525,558 Euro. The mayorie in Petrila will contribute to the project with 225,558 Euro, founds 300,000 Euro. A deposit of 3 million m3 over a period of 40 years is foreseen (7075 m3/year) on a surface of 4.5 ha.

Source: DEEP