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Bosnian Town Faces Lead Poisoning Crisis Linked to New Mine
Home Finance Bosnian town seeks answers after hundreds test positive for lead in their blood Finance Bosnian town seeks answers after hundreds test positive for lead in their blood Table of Contents Lead Contamination Concerns Following Mine ReopeningLegal and Environmental ResponseBlood Testing and ResultsHealth ImplicationsUncertainty Over Source of ContaminationFurther Environmental Testing and Official ActionsTesting of Water and LandGovernment and Legal ProceedingsImpact on Local ResidentsThe Ahmedovic Family's StruggleCommunity Demands for Accountability Vares, Bosnia Confronts Lead Poisoning Fears After Mine Reopens Lead Contamination Concerns Following Mine Reopening By Amel Emric and Daria Sito-Sucic VARES, Bosnia and Herzegovina, May 6 (Reuters) - A new silver, lead and barite mine offered hope to the small town of Vares, in mountainous central Bosnia, when it opened in 2024. After decades of economic decline, new roads and houses were built, cafes and restaurants filled up, and the long-dwindling population swelled with workers and new residents. In recent months, however, blood tests have revealed exposure to lead in more than 300 residents living near the mine, some at elevated levels, alarming locals and throwing the town's future into doubt. Legal and Environmental Response On Wednesday, four Bosnian environmental agencies filed criminal charges against Dundee Precious Metals, the Canadian mining company that took over the mine in September when it acquired the previous owner, UK-based Adriatic Metals, with the Zenica-Doboj cantonal prosecutors' office. "We think that the situation is ripe to declare an emergency situation," Miroslav Pejcinovic, the president of Opstanak (Survival) Vares, one of the agencies, told Reuters. "Somebody needs to take responsibility." Toronto-listed DPM denies responsibility, but recognises there is a problem. Blood Testing and Results The company agreed to finance blood tests in December. The residents said they asked for the tests because the mine's previous owner had offered to conduct them, not because there were any signs of harm. Still, the results showed 17 of 44 people who lived close to the mine's processing plant and waste depot had elevated lead levels in their blood. Subsequent rounds of tests conducted by health institutes in the cities of Zenica and Sarajevo showed that more than 300 people, including some living further away from the mine in Vares, also had lead in their blood. Health Implications ...
Criminal charges in Bosnian mine lead poisoning - Al Jazeera
NewsFeedFour Bosnian environmental agencies have filed charges against a Canadian mining group after hundreds of people living near its controversial Vares mine, tested positive for lead poisoning. The mine was supposed to bring prosperity, but now locals worry it has brought ruin.Published On 7 May 2026
Bosnian Agencies File Criminal Charges Against Canadian Firm ...
14 hours ago ... ... lead exposure in more than 300 residents living near a newly reopened mine. ... Bosnian Agencies File Criminal Charges Against Canadian Firm Dundee ...
Bosnian town in panic after hundreds test positive for lead in their blood
Residents wait to sign a petition against the government and mining companies, which have developed and opened a silver and lead mine near the central town of Vares, accusing them of causing environmental pollution of the land and endangering the health of the population with heavy metals, in Vares, Bosnia and Herzegovina, May 5, 2026.
