CYPRUS MINING COOPERATION ( CMC )
	Background
	PRESENT SITUATION
	View of acid layer inside of CMC Photo by: Nilden Eminer After CMC left the island they left behind piles of tailing deposits exposed to the environment, resulting in substantial contaminations of surrounding soils and a sea shore. This operation of the facility caused a substantial environmental degradation of the area. During the operation, untreated waste water quantities of metals and other contaminants was disposed directly into the Mediterranean sea.. All storm runoff has been directly discharging into the sea without any containment and settlement of sediments. In fact, the sea shore is so contaminated that any wave action creates a substantial discoloration of the sea water. This discoloration covers roughly 2 kilometer of sea shore,600 meters in width. These water are utilized by local residents for fishing which may be detrimental to their health and killing the marine life. In addition to these tailing piles in the area. There are a number of large ponds containing tailing deposits. These are fairly large shallow earth reservoirs where the washings and sludge of the floatation plants are damped. These ponds may be a potential source for groundwater contamination in the area the amount of these tails in the ponds is about 3.million tons and containing iron, copper, sulphur salts and other hazardous elements.
	View from outside of CMC  Photo by: Nilden Eminer There is about 30,000 tons of cyanide tails remaining from gold producing in this area which is a yellowish color with no vegetative growth. Beside all these about 2 million of tons of ore material with low grade copper and sulphur percentage, were damped in Lefke area. This piles are just above the Gemikonagi Reservoir, which has been constructed two years ago. All the rainwater leaching these ore piles, directly runs into the lake of the reservoir. This reservoir is located near the wells used as a drinking water source for most of the Lefke area. During the summer time when the temperature rises up to 40-45 C, pyrite piles with 30-35% content of sulphur in it began to self burn and expose SO an S02 gasses into the air which creates an air pollution as well most of the time.
	This mirror site of Lefke Town website, is prepared by Eda Kandulu.