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Position paper Umicore
Old mining properties in Germany
Umicore and its legal predecessors (Vieille Montagne, Silberkaule and Altenberg) are able to look back on a long history of mining in Germany, which ended with the closure of the Lüderich zinc mine near Cologne in 1978. Most of the former mining concessions are located in three regions (Lahn, near Coblenz - Bensberg, near Cologne - Eifel region)
A number of underground mining concessions are still in Umicore?s possession. The collapse of shafts and tunnels of mining areas which are no longer in use can sometimes lead to subsidence at the surface. In 2007, this was the case at 3 sites which were successfully repaired by Umicore. Similar incidents took place in the course of 2008, all of which were restored.
The concessions also include one secured tailings pond (tailings are residues from the flotation of raw materials), the condition of which - including the drainage channels - is verified at regular intervals. The ponds are located near the former Lüderich zinc operations.
Drainage water from surface and underground workings linked to these former mining activities may also contain elevated concentrations of metals.
