Paper short abstract:

Our paper aims to analyze the multiple valences of the concept of disaster in the case of mining waste management at a copper mine in Romania and emphasizing the importance of collaboration with other sciences to determine if this can be defined as a disaster or not.

Paper long abstract:

The research question that overarches our paper is if the case of the copper mine from Rosia Poieni, situated in north-western part of Romania, can be defined as a disaster. Our approach uses qualitative data obtained during research fieldwork in the village of Valea Sesii and in the surrounding area, online comments and debates, as well as the positioning of local and central authorities regarding this situation.

We'll underline the role of converging sciences in clarifying if this case can be considered a disaster by also observing the people's uncertainty, mistrust and apprehension revealed by fieldwork based qualitative data.

Disaster, viewed as a spatial and temporal reality, produces unexpected environmental and human life changes, damaging the inhabitants' welfare and diminishing the quality of life immediately.

The Rosia Poieni copper exploitation in an open pit started in the late 1970s and till present experts' plans concerning the mining project unfolded without major incidents. However, over time several impactful changes have occurred: (1) a village with its houses, church and cemetery deliberately flooded by mining waste, (2) a community in continuous change with families leaving the area, one by one, sooner or later, directly linked to the increasing levels of flotation pulp nearing their households, (3) traditional orchards decimated over decades, and increased sensitivity of several plants and trees in the bigger area, (4) an online community articulated during the last years, experiencing deep emotions and speaking about this situation as about Hell and proclaiming it a disaster.