The Mayor of Mojkovac insists that no large hydro electric dams will be built on the Tara River, which runs though his small northeastern town and that any company hoping to reopen its long abandoned lead and zinc mine had better be able to prove that it can operate in a manner that does not risk damaging the environment.
Miladin “Brko” Mitrović pledges that Mojkovac will follow the principles of environmentally friendly, sustainable development in its evolution (see feature pages).

Admitting that he has been visited on three occasions by representatives from Serbian and Australian companies - that are working in tandem and are interested in the possibility of reopening the mine - the mayor says that the mine will become operational again only if ore can be extracted and the waste disposed of in an environmentally benign manner. “The Australians say that the most modern technology can solve the problems. We will now do serious research into the possibilities. We are willing to see if there is a solution.”
However, Mitrović warns that some of the town’s people are, “allergic to the existence of the mine.” That “allergy” is understandable. Prior to turning the mine’s leftover tailings piles into a tailings pond by adding water, the town would be, “paralyzed by toxic dust clouds, especially on sunny, windy days,” the mayor told the Montenegro Times.

Mines require massive amounts of electricity and Montenegro is far from being energy self sufficient. The country imports approximately 40% of its energy and it’s not cheap. Two weeks ago Prime Minister Milo Djukanović told reporters, “We shall have to produce new electricity. We shall have to do it very carefully, in compliance with the principles of sustainable development but at the same time, find a few least-disputed sites where we can build large hydro power plants and provide enough energy for current and future development. Allowing 83% of hydro potential to flow out, without producing energy, is as irrational as a Minister of Finance standing on a bridge and throwing the whole budget into the Morača River. It would be irrational from both an economic and an energy generation point of view if at least some of that water is not used for electricity production.”

Plans for two large scale hydro power plants on the Morača River are in the investigative stage. Although the Prime Minister did not say that he was interested in exploring the possibility of building a large power plant on the Tara, Mojkovac’s mayor says, “No large dams will be built on the Tara River.”
The mayor also insists that nuclear power plants should not be built in Montenegro. During the recent Italian parliamentary election Giulio Tremonti told his country, “Information circulating in international sets show that countries on the other side of the Adriatic are open to set up nuclear joint ventures. It seems to me that all geopolitical premises are there for success." More specifically, Tremonti - who has since won election and is widely expected to be named Economy Minister in the coalition government headed by Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi -  named Montenegro and Albania as potential homes for nuclear power plants. But Mitrović says, “No nuclear plants will be built here no matter how high tech they are, as far as I am concerned. I have no influence on Albania but I also oppose building them there. The Italians can build them in their own country.” Italy banned the building of more nuclear power plants in a 1987 national referendum.

Mayor Mitrović says Montenegro should look to Mother Nature to find solutions to its energy problems. “We will look to wind, solar and other environmentally friendly sources. We have 270 sunny days per year along the coast. Why we didn’t develop alternative energy in the past is not a question for today but we will pay attention to this from this point forward.”