Overview of the Ecological Consequences of NATO Bombing of Yugoslavia Until May 20, 1999

Dr. Radoje Lausevic

CONTENTS AND SOURCES OF INFORMATION

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Table of contents
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I. BACKGROUND
A. BASIC FACTS ON YUGOSLAVIA
B. ENVIRONMENT
1. Review of Protected Natural Features in Serbia
2. Future Biosphere Reserve
C. SOURCES OF INFORMATION

II. WHAT WAS DESTROYED SO FAR BY NATO AIRSTRIKES?
A. INFRASTRUCTURE
1. General
2. Traffic
a) Bridges
b) Railways and railway stations
c) Roads and transporters
d) Airports

B. INDUSTRY
1. Factories
2. Refineries and warehouses
3. Agriculture

C. URBAN AND RURAL RESIDENTIAL AREAS
D. PRE-SCHOOL INSTITUTIONS, SCHOOLS AND UNIVERSITIES
E. CULTURAL AND HISTORICAL MONUMENTS AND MUSEUMS

III. WHICH CHEMICALS/SUBSTANCES/RADIATION HAVE BEEN EMITTED SO FAR?
A. OIL, AND OIL PRODUCTS
B. VINYL CHLORIDE MONOMER (VCM) - CH2CHCL
C. PHOSGENE
D. ETHYLENE DICHLORIDE (EDC) - CH2CLCH2CL
E. CHLORINE (CL2)
F. SOOT
G. NITROGEN OXIDES
H. HYDROFLUORIC ACID (HF)
I. HEAVY METALS
J. PYRALENE - POLYCHLORINATED BIPHENOLS (PCB'S)
K. INITIAL FUEL OF CRUISING MISSILES
L. RADIOACTIVITY (DU)

IV. WHAT CAN THE CONSEQUENCES/HEALTH EFFECTS FOR PEOPLE BE?
A. VCM
B. PHOSGENE
C. EDC
D. CHLORINE
E. HF
F. PCB
G. DEPLETED URANIUM
H. FOOD

V. WHAT CAN THE TRANSBOUNDARY EFFECTS BE OF THIS POLLUTION AND FOR WHICH COUNTRIES?

VI. ARE EFFECTS ALREADY THERE?
A. HEALTH EFFECTS
1. Civilian Casualties
a) Korisa
b) Towns in Kosovo and Metohija:
c) Belgrade
d) Surdulica
e) Nis
f) Kursumlija
g) Aleksinac
h) Murino near Rozaje
2. Children as victims
3. Refugees as Victims
4. Passengers in Vehicles of Public Transportation as Victims
5. Acute Health Effects
6. Chronic Health Effects

B. ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
1. Air
2. Water
3. Soil
4. Ecosystems/Biodiversity
a) Endangered Natural Assets of National and International importance
b) Endangered plan species
(1) Aristolochia merxmuelleri Greuter & E. Mayer
(2) Dianthus behriorum Bornm
(3) Gentiana nopcsae J v.
(4) Tulipa serbica Tatic & Krivosej
c) Endangered animals

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Sources of information
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* A Special TiM GW Bulletin on NATO's, May 14, 1999.

*BBC News (Monday, April 19, 1999).

*BBC Online, April 28, 1999 Wednesday, April 28, 1999: World: Europe: NATO strike kills civilians. Published at 05:54 GMT 06:54 UK.

*BBC Online, May 8, 1999: Saturday, May 8, 1999, World: Europe: Embassy strike 'a mistake'; Published at 18:06 GMT 19:06 UK.

*BBC-Brussels, May 15, 1999.

*CRL - Coghill Research Laboratories, 1999: The Use Of Depleted Uranium (Du).

* Bullets And Bombs By NATO Forces In Yugoslavia.

*Environment News Service (ENS) April 19, 1999: Toxic Clouds Over Belgrade.

*FRY Ministry of foreign Affairs (b): NATO aggression Against FR Yugoslavia. Bulletins, Special Issue.

*Glas Javnosti, 5th May, pg. 6.

*Glas Javnosti, May 19, 1999, pg. 5 *Glas Javnosti, May 7, 1999: Najugrozeniji severna Evropa i Amerika (Northern Europe and America are Mostly Endangered), pg 7.

*IAC - International Action Center, April 1, 1999: Radioactive weapons used by U.S./NATO in Kosovo.

* Institute for Public Accuracy, News releases April 21, 1999.

*Istina, 1999.

*Knjizevne novine, 1999.

*M. Chossudovsky, 1999: Impacts of NATO's "humanitarian bombings, the balance sheet of destruction in Yugoslavia.

*Microsoft Encarta World Atlas 1998 Edition.

*P. Polic, 1999: Pollution in the Conditions of This War. Danger of an Ecological Catastrophe. - DC Communications Centre.

*Politika, April 21, 1999: Bombe ugrozavaju ceo region (Bombs endanger the whole region), pg. 4.

*Politika, May 18, 1999: Crna kisa u Bugarskoj (Black rain in Bulgaria).

*SES - Serian Ecological Society, 1999b: Endangered plant species. - AIM.

*Sunday Herald, Glasgow, April 26, 1999.

*The Associated Press, April 30, 1999.

*TiM - Truth in Media, April 10, 1999.

*TiM - Truth in Media, Issue S99-66, Day 43, Update 1, May 5, 1999; 0:45AM EDT.

*Times of India, April 21.

*V. Janjic, 1999: NATO air strikes - ecological consequences.

*Vladimir Slivyak, 1999: Nuclear threat of Yugoslavia war . - .

*Vojska (Army, Belgrade), April 22, 1999: Ubistvo s predumisljajem (Premeditated murder), pg. 24-25.

* Institute for Protection of Nature of Serbia.

*Yugoslav Foreign Ministry, Aide Memoire, Belgrade, May 17, 1999: NATO's use of inhumane weapons in its aggression on Yugoslavia, launched on March 24.

--
Ass. Prof. Dr. Radoje Lausevic
Serbian Ecological Society
Univ. Belgrade, Fac. Biol.
Inst. Bot. & Bot. Garden "Jevremovac"
Takovska 43, 11000 Belgrade, Yugoslavia
Tel: +381 11 767-988
Fax: +381 11 769-903