A new silver, lead and barite mine offered hope to the small town of Vares, in mountainous central Bosnia , when it opened in 2024. After decades of economic decline, new roads and houses were built, cafes and restaurants filled up, and the long-dwindling population swelled with workers and new residents. In recent months, however, blood tests have revealed exposure to lead in more than 300 residents living near the mine, some at elevated levels, alarming locals and throwing the town's future into doubt. On Wednesday, four Bosnian environmental agencies filed criminal charges against Dundee Precious Metals, the Canadian mining company that took over the mine in September after acquiring UK-based Adriatic Metals, with the Zenica-Doboj cantonal prosecutors' office. "We think that the situation is ripe to declare an emergency situation," Miroslav Pejcinovic, the president of Opstanak (Survival) Vares, one of the agencies, told Reuters.…