Zijin copper mine in Serbia, environment impacts of Cukaru Peki

An Environmental Impact Assessment Study of a mining project at the Chukaru Peki site near Bor is under public discussion and public insight. This document can be found on the official website of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and on the premises of the City Administration in Bor, and public access and commenting are possible until February 5, when a public hearing will be held on the premises of the City Administration in Bor.

The study foresees, among other things, that the future Zidjin mine will employ 1,205 workers and that the exploitation will be non-destructive, and the mining corridors will be filled with a mixture of tailings and cement at the end of the mine, so that most of the tailings will be returned to the mine and there will be no collapse of the terrain on the surface.

However, this mine will also have negative effects that will result in environmental pollution, the study estimates.

This is primarily reflected in the formation of tailings ponds that will permanently destroy land, ecosystems and change the landscape. Also, the average flow of the Bor River will be reduced by about 8 l / s, and the Brestovac River by about 2 l / s in the entire mine operation period. Surface flows are estimated to return to baseline 30-40 years after mine closure.

Debris will be formed in the upper part of the Grcava stream basin, while in the lower part of the stream there may be a decrease in flow. The construction of the tailings pond will result in the loss of 2 km of Grcava in whose upper part of the basin will be formed tailings ponds, 2.8 km of tributary habitats associated with Grcava and indirect loss of habitats downstream.

The loss of habitat downstream can be extended by another 1.5 km to the confluence with the Bor River. This will result in a total loss of 6.3 km of habitat. Direct habitat loss will be permanent.

The mine will cover an area of ​​approximately 1,014.99 ha of land, and it is planned to purchase an additional 243 ha. Eight households, with 23 members, were or will be physically displaced.

The estimated amount of ore in the Upper Zone of the deposit is 45 million tonnes of dry ore, with an average copper content of 2.71% and an average gold content of 1.7 g / t. This practically means that it is expected that one and 250 thousand tonnes of copper, 78 tonnes of gold and 150 tonnes of silver can be extracted from its exploitation. The average sulfur content of this ore is about 16.67, and arsenic is about 0.13 percent, or 1295 grams per ton of ore.

Source: rtvbor.rs