Ecological risk assessment for two adjacent rivers on the current Cinkarna Celje production site was conducted between April and November 2018. According to the summary, ecological testing has confirmed the deterioration of the ecological status of Hudinja and Ložnica rivers.

The modelled quantity of arsenic in groundwater matches the ecological impact observed in Ložnica River, at the in-flow location of the assumed source of arsenic, says the summary. The existence of other, currently unknown sources of arsenic also has to be verified along Hudinja River. Additional investigations will be needed at two locations on the company’s site in order to provide a detailed assessment of the impact by the groundwater contaminated with zinc and chlorobenzene.

In accordance with the selected criteria, Cinkarna will have to classify the two locations on its site as areas with "serious contamination" and areas where "remediation is urgently required". These two locations are directly related to an adverse ecological impact on two above-mentioned rivers, an inacceptable contaminant migration in on the groundwater.

In line with the criteria, other known on-site locations will also have to be classified as areas with "serious contamination", but with no urgent remediation required. These locations demonstrate an exceedance of the intervention value concentration of at least one potentially harmful substance as well as an exceedance of the maximum tolerable size/volume of the affected location.