Hungary’s 2010 red mud disaster: how to prevent another?
Are EU rules to prevent environmentally-disastrous mining accidents in place and properly enforced? MEPs will put the question to the EU Commission and Council of Ministers on Wednesday, six years after a lethal sludge spill at a Hungarian waste reservoir near the town of Ajka. Similar sites exist in several EU countries, MEPs warn. Parliament votes a resolution on Thursday.
On 4 October 2010, almost one million cubic metres of highly alkaline red mud flooded settlements, killed ten people and injured almost 150 in western Hungary. The disaster highlighted poor enforcement of EU law, deficiencies in inspections, and gaps in the relevant EU legislation, say MEPs.
Procedure: question for oral answer to the Commission and the Council, with resolution
Debate: Wednesday, 7 October
Vote: Thursday, 8 October
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