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"Looking at the tall chimney, belching huge clouds of sinister looking yellow smoke, Muhamet Gerguri, 37, a village leader, says local families look on the chimney with deep foreboding. In Dardhishte, you consider yourself lucky if no one in your family has yet died, or is now dying of, cancer, he said."
"A report by Kosovo’s Ministry of Environment in May 2003 said Kosova A emitted around 2.5 tons of dust per hour, which exceeds the European standard by some 74 times.The same report concluded that in the Obiliq-Kastriot area, where the power plants are sited, air pollution is responsible for 63 percent of baby fatalities and 48 percent of stillborn babies."
"The pollution is attributed to general poor maintenance of the two power plants, Kosova A and Kosova B, and to malfunctioning filters. The filters in Kosovo A, which came from the former Soviet Union, work only at half their expected capacity."
Source: (Environmental News Service, Arben Salihu, 2004 http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/sep2004/2004-09-01-03.html)
UNIVERSITY OF GOTHENBURG, School of Business, Economics and Law, Environmental Economics Unit (2008). Kosovo Environment and Climate Analysis. Retrieved 18 September 2011, from, http://www.sida.se/Global/Countries%20and%20regions/Europe%20incl.%20Central%20Asia/Kosovo/Environmental%20policy%20brief%20Kosovo.pdf
Kosovo Environmental and Climate Analysis
“Given the current turbulence, it might look peripheral to support environmental institutions, especially as the country is still vulnerable to political instability and regional conflicts” (University of Gothenburg, 2008).
“Disaster risks and climate variability and change enhance already existing problems or pose new threats to Kosovo” (University of Gothenburg, 2008).
“Due to decline of industrial activities during the 1990s, direct emissions to the air have declined but it remains a big problem. The largest air polluting source is the coal- burned power plant in Obiliq. Air pollutants such as CO2, SO2, NOX, and dust, are emitted from the plant and contribute significantly to the bad air quantity in Prishtine and the surroundings” (University of Gothenburg, 2008).
“Kosovo soils are inherently fertile but has been degraded for reasons like open coal pits” (University of Gothenburg, 2008).
“Several species of plants are known to be on the verge of extinction, mainly due to human activities” (University of Gothenburg, 2008).
“The Kosovar population is still widely exposed to pollution from industries, coal power plant, road transport, and mining. This situation is aggravated by the lock of efficient regulations and control operations” (University of Gothenburg, 2008).
“Little progress has been made on promoting energy efficiency and renewable energies, although discussions related to exploring the potential for hydro-electro power and solar energy has commenced” (University of Gothenburg, 2008).
“Contaminations of soil and food by heavy metal and lead is a serious problem in areas where the mines and industrial factories are located and internally displaced persons tend to live” (University of Gothenburg, 2008).
UNMIK MESP, Kosovo. State of the Environment Report, Retrieved November 21, 2011 from http://enrin.grida.no/htmls/kosovo/SoE/index.htm
UNMIK
“Air pollution data is scarce; it is nonetheless a major concern. Respiratory diseases are a major indicator of these problems” (Kosovo State of the Environmental Report, 2002).
“Sulfur, carbon, and nitrogen oxides, halogens and air born heavy metals are the major pollutants” (Kosovo State of the Environmental Report, 2002).
"Energy." Energy. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Nov. 2012. http://enrin.grida.no/htmls/kosovo/SoE/energy.htm
Energy
“The main electric energy sources in Kosovo are the coal fired power stations Kosovo A (5 units), Kosovo B (2 units), and two small hydroelectric station in the Zubin Potock municipality and the Deqan Municipality. Power plant A was built in early 1960s while Kosovo B was built in the early 1980s and are situated a few kilometers from Prishtina” (Energy, 2002).
“The production capacities of the plants are as follows: (there is a graph added to this statement)” (Energy, 2002).
"Kosova: Shut Down Of Thermal Power Plant Welcomed." N.p., 28 Sept. 2012. Web. www.unpo.org/article/14923
Kosova: Shut Down of Thermal Power Plant Welcomed
“ The government of Kosova will close its 40 year old thermal power plant A, and can caution on EU funding when the decline is respected”
The Kosovar Stability Initiative (IKS). (2009). Thinking Green. (p.1-32). Retrieved from ?http://iksweb.org/Photos/Publikimet/Images/Të_Mendosh_Gjelbër/enThinking_Green.pdf
"the root of Kosova’s poor air quality is easy to detect: coal mining and energy production from Kosova’s single energy provider, the Kosova Electric Company (KEK). Kosova is the ONLY country in Europe that produces 98 percent of its electricity from lignite coal. The use of coal for energy production, which dates back to the 1920s, has continued for years without regard for environmental consequences. Further, the quality of lignite in Kosova is known internationally for its high concentration of ash."
"Recent air measurements by the National Institute of Public Health of Kosova are alarming; in the only two measuring points in Prishtina the level of airborne particulate matter and Nitrogen Oxide (NO2) in only three months of measurement have exceeded allowed emissions by 18 times."
"not too surprising as earlier measurements in 2005 showed that the emission of flying ash crumbs from Power Plant Kosova B surpassed EU standards by four to five times."
"When the KEK plants produce at full capacity, the 200 MW units emit approximately 25 tons of dust and ash per hour, 74 times the excise allowed by European standards. These emissions include CO2, SO2, and NO2. The precise levels of emission are not published by KEK and therefore remain unknown to the public nowadays, but data from 1994 shows that the power plants jettisoned 70,000 tons of ash into the air every year, averaging 200 tons per day."
"data in 2002 showed that KEK’s CO2 emissions were more than 4.4 million tons annually, approximately 510 tons per hour. Altogether private households in Kosova produced only 38,466 tons. Kosova’s power-stations and the adjacent lignite mines are the biggest contaminator of the air in the country."
"In addition, 50 million tons of ash is simply lying around the power plant unsealed. The 30,000 inhabitants of Obiliq Municipality live in 15 villages immediately surrounding the power plants. Located only ten kilometers from Prishtina, Obiliq is considered one of the most polluted places in Kosova."
"Recently, the National Institute of Public Health in Kosova (NIPH) issued a public warning on the increasingly bad air quality in Kosova. Dust from emissions of CO2, SO2, and NO2 contributes to higher risk of upper and lower respiratory tract diseases, including infections and allergies. Poor air quality is directly affecting life expectancy and the general health of the population. While everyone is affected, susceptibility varies according to health or age. NIPH noticed an increasing number of children with upper respiratory problems, such as asthma and allergies, as a direct result of polluted air. It further identified a 20 percent increase in the number of children with anemia in the last 10 years. According to the Director of the Institute, Naser Ramadani, these illnesses can be attributed to the poor environment."
"Obiliq municipality reported the highest incidence of Lower Respiratory Tract Infections: 449.6 cases per 100,000 inhabitants per week. This is likely to be related to the air pollution produced by the power plant."
U.S. United States Agency for International Development. (2009, October). Kosovo: Environmental threats and opportunities assessment (ETOA) (Report) (USAID, Author). Retrieved from United States Agency for International Development website: ?http://aoa.ew.eea.europa.eu/tools/virtual_library/bibliography-details-each-assessment/answer_2754344644/w_assessment-upload/index_html?as_attachment:int=1
"Air pollutants released 10 KOSOVO: ENVIRONMENTAL THREATS AND OPPORTUNITIES ASSESSMENT (ETOA) into Kosovo’s atmosphere include SO2, NOx, particulate matter, and CO2 from power plants."
"Air pollution causes asthma, respiratory illness, cancer, and sometimes death. Emissions need to be reduced to protect citizens, especially in densely populated areas. Air monitoring is poor and incomplete. Some new air monitoring stations are planned, but data for specific pollutants and pollutant concentrations are lacking. Facility specific monitoring data is not available. It is needed to inform the public about direct threats. Sources need to be identified, emissions measured, transmission of pollutants modeled in the atmosphere, and pollutant concentrations and distributions identified over wide ranges of timelines and locations."
Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning. (2003, April). Kosovo State of the environment report (Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning, Comp.). Retrieved from http://enrin.grida.no/htmls/kosovo/Kosovo_SOE_part1.pdf
Air pollution data is scare; it is nonetheless a major concern. Respiratory diseases are a major indicator of
these problems (see section 14).
The major source of air pollution is the coal power plant and pollution relating to traffic.
Sulfur, Carbon and Nitrogen oxides, halogens and air born heavy metal are the major pollutants. Dust due
to poor waste management and general upkeep dust in cities are also a cause of concern.
"Air pollution data is scare; it is nonetheless a major concern. Respiratory diseases are a major indicator of these problems. The major source of air pollution is the coal power plant and pollution relating to traffic. Sulfur, Carbon and Nitrogen oxides,
halogens and air born heavy metal are the major pollutants. Dust due to poor waste management and general upkeep dust in cities are also a cause of concern."