The Tailings Pond From Geamana - Ecological Disaster, Alba County, Transylvania, Romania. Royalty-Free Stock Image

Geamana is a village in Lupsa commune, Alba county, Transylvania, Romania. The village of Geamana has been submerged in tailings since 1978, when the dumping of tailings resulting from the washing of ore with toxic substances began. Following the mining operations at Rosia Poieni, the village was transformed into a tailings pond and covered with tailings, through a series of events known as the Geamana natural disaster. Geamana was a large village with seven hamlets. Almost 1,000 people lived there. Some left immediately and others stayed to witness the village's demise. Finally, they moved too. Only a few people still live in a few scattered houses on the hills around the pond. Currently, the place has become a lake that grows between 90 and 100 centimeters per year. All water is divided into 3 zones: a muddy zone, where the pipes release all harmful substances, a turquoise water zone and a red water zone.