Abstract
Environmental issues related to past mining activities have become the subject of public interest only in the last 20-25
years. Consequently, experience related to the mitigation and control of environmental pollution in mining areas is a
recent development. The existing methods of remediation are often partially ineffective, especially when applied
without an in-depth geochemical and mineralogical study of the site. This paper reports on preliminary data
concerning the effect of remediation actions in an arsenic-contaminated mine watershed (Baccu Locci mine – Italy) a
few months from its completion. The persistence of the pre-remediation conditions raises some doubt on the
effectiveness of the undertaken remediation actions, even if more time is certainly needed to reach a new
environmental steady state. Much remains to be learned about mistakes and successes of mine site remediation, and
the monitoring of the Baccu Locci area represents an opportunity to acquire new fundamental knowledge on this
issue.