The future Chinese Chukaru Peki copper and gold mine is planned to employ 1,205 workers, but this mine will also have negative effects that will result in environmental pollution, according to an Environmental Impact Assessment study under public debate and public insight on the Ministry of Environment’s website.
According to Nova Ekonomija, the study states that Rakita Exploratation, the ultimate owner of which is the Chinese company Zidjin (Zidjin Mining Group), plans to open a copper mine in Chukaru Peki, with all associated facilities for ore processing and transportation and disposal.
Zidjin also owns the nearby Bor Mining and Smelter Basin (RTB Bor). The Chukaru Peki copper and gold deposit is located in eastern Serbia, five kilometers south of Bor. The estimated amount of ore in the Upper Zone of the deposit is 46.15 Mt, with an average copper content of 2.71% and an average gold content of 1.7 g/t.
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 negative effects at all stages of mine exploitation that will occur to a greater or lesser extent are permanent destruction of land after the formation of tailings ponds, change of landscape and destruction of ecosystems on the surface above the reservoir, dust and gas emissions, impact of mining waste on soil and groundwater and surface water.
The study authors from the Institute of Metallurgy and Mining of Bor have calculated that the average flow of the Bor River will be reduced by about 8 l/s, and the Brestovac Rivers by about 2 l/s in the entire period of operation of the mine. The largest flow reductions are expected at the Kusak and Kalinik streams.
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 to 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. It is estimated that surface flows will return to their initial (zero) state 30-40 years after the mine closure. In order to prevent dust from spreading during the processing of ore, it is envisaged to install suitable dust removal devices in this plant.
Project implementation will change the use of land from predominantly agricultural to mining, which will have the effect of altering the habitat of about 300 hectares of habitat, reports Nova Ekonomija.
