Work on recovery, reconstruction and the mitigation of environmental damages following the red sludge disaster cost the state a total of 38 billion forints – over 130 million Euros.

"The total cost of recovery included 21 billion forints for the mitigation of damages to the environment", said the Ministry of Rural Development's State Secretary for Environmental Affairs at the event entitled "Kolontár and the future of our environment". At the roundtable discussion organised to mark the 2nd anniversary of the red sludge disaster, Zoltán Illés emphasised that several thousand tons of plaster had been poured into a 100km long stretch of the Marcal River to protect aquatic habitats and the Danube.

In the words of the State Secretary for Environmental Affairs, the fact that following the outflow of the toxic sludge we managed to prevent what had been impossible to avert in the case of the Romanian cyanide pollution was a "world sensation". Work at the aluminium plant in Ajka was initially stopped, then after six days the plant was reopened in the interests of saving thousands of jobs. In addition to the steadfast work of both individuals and organisations, Zoltán Illés also acknowledged the huge personal role played by the Prime Minister, because unlike several foreign examples of industrial disasters, the Hungarian State did not leave its people out in the cold.

Zoltán Illés emphasised that the 135 billion forint fine imposed on the company was based on the amount of sludge that escaped the reservoir and had been calculated using strict formulae. He added, the owners of MAL Hungarian Aluminium Production and Trade Company Ltd. had taken him to court over his statements in the media and are claiming 15 billion forints in total damages. He called this a "diversionary tactic", because legal proceedings had already been underway in relation to the red sludge disaster at the time.

At the roundtable discussion György Bakondi, head of the National Directorate General for Disaster Management (NDGDM) stated that the damage causes by the disaster, which attracted intense interest worldwide, were horrendous. The State alone spent 38 billion forints on damage mitigation, and people living in the region received further help thanks to active social cohesion.

He recalled that the official bodies, the fire brigade, the police and water management experts, all struggled heroically after the dam broke. It was thanks to Hungarian engineering expertise that the caustic pollution was successfully prevented from reaching the Danube, he said.

The Director General added, forced State ownership of MAL prevented the company from going bankrupt and following the introduction of environmentally friendly dry technology the company is still operating today.

With regard to lessons learnt from the disaster, György Bakondi emphasised that following the recovery the main emphasis has shifted to prevention, and the civil protection system has been overhauled. New regulations have since also been introduced with regard to both the transportation of dangerous materials and dangerous works.

The participants of the discussion, which was organised by the charity Hungarian Interchurch Aid (HIA), viewed the exhibition of drawings by local school children at the main building of the new educational trail, after which they laid wreaths at the memorial to the victims of the disaster.

Toxic red sludge escaping from the MAL reservoir near Ajka on 4 October 2010 flooded three villages: Kolontár, Devecser and Somlóvásárhely. Ten people died, over two-hundred were injured and several hundred families lost their homes as a result of the catastrophe.

(MTI, Press Office of the Ministry of Rural Development)