MINING WASTE MANAGEMENT – THE CASE STUDY OF BOR

1. M. Ž. Trumić, G. D. Bogdanović, M. S. Trumić, D. V. Antić University in Belgrade, Technical Faculty in Bor, Serbia MINING WASTE MANAGEMENT – THE CASE STUDY OF BOR

2. Mining activities generate about 38% of the total solid waste in the world. EU countries dispose of more than 4700 million tons of solid waste from mining, mostly in Finland, Greece, Ireland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the UK Metallurgical processes also generate a large amount of solid waste (for each ton of copper produced generates approximately 2.2 tons of slag) INTRODUCTION

3. Mining production in Bor started in 1903 by underground mining. The open pit operations started in 1912 and were performed until 1986. There are two more copper mines in the municipality – at VelikiKrivelj (opened in 1979) and Cerovo (opened in 1990 and were performed until 2002). The waste of RTB Bor is mainly dumped on the open space, or within the area of the corresponding plants. The basic open waste dumps of the mining overburden and waste rock are located nearby Bor, Veliki Krivelj and Cerovo, and, as for the flotation tailings, they are located in Bor and Veliki Krivelj. Basic Characteristics and Waste Quantities

4. During the period of hundred years, the significant quantity of solid mining wastes have been produced and placed around the copper mines Bor, Krivelj and Cerovo. All wasted materials can be classified as follows: 1. Copper mine Bor open pit (now is closed) – Two place where the overburden placed ("High planir" and "Grand planir") – Two flotation tailings, old and new one 2. Copper mine Krivelj (open pit mine) – Two place with rejected overburden ("Todor's creek" and "Saraka Creek") and new one – Flotation tailings 3. Copper mine Cerovo (open pit, closed) – Overburden only Basic Characteristics and Waste Quantities

5. Basic Characteristics and Waste Quantities Table 1: Quantity of mining waste metallurgical slag and copper content

6. So far, by the process of mining and metallurgical processes of the copper concentrate on the territory of the municipality of Bor, there has been dumped approximately: • 500 x 106 t of overburden, • 300 x 106 t of flotation tailing, • 25 x 106 t of smelting slag. This waste presents 99.95 % of the totally dumped waste in the territory of the municipality of Bor Basic Characteristics and Waste Quantities

7. Area of 360 km2, which is the area of Belgrade would be covered by a layer of solid waste of 1.43 meters or the area of Novi Sad with a layer of 4 meters, or geometrically gambling site 800 meters. 13750 tons of waste per capita from Bor or gambling site 20 meters. Over 21 tons of copper per capita from Bor. 150000 US$ per capita from Bor. Basic Characteristics and Waste Quantities

8. Cerovo (opened in 1990 and closed in 2002). The open-pit mine V. Krivelj (opened in 1979) The open-pit mine Bor (opened in 1912 and closed in 1986.) Flotation tailing V.Krivelj 1982- The industrial processing of smelter slag has been performed in the Bor’s Flotation plant since 2001. Flotation tailing RTH 1987- Old flotation tailing 1933-1987

9. The field 2 was used from 1989 up to 2008 and it contained over 130 million cubic meters of tailing. The field 2 covers some 145 Ha. The total height of the dam 3 is around 100 meters and it is long 750 meters. Reconstruction and Remediation of the Mining Waste Dumps Remediation of the Flotation Tailing Pond “VelikiKrivelj” – Field 2, Dam 3

10. The mining of the overburden on the open-pit mine “VelikiKrivelj” started in 1979. • The overburden dump “Eastern Saraka” has got the area of 50 Ha. • There should be taken measures for reducing erosions, for example, the biological recultivation with the proper technical procedures. • While defining the measures for drainage and dewatering, it is necessary to consider the application of in-situ procedure for the neutralization of surface acid waters. Reconstruction and Remediation of the Mining Waste Dumps Remediation of the Overburden Dump From the Open-Pit Mine VelikiKrivelj-“Saraka”

11. The oldest location for dumping the flotation tailing in RTB is the old flotation tailing pond Bor. It is located at the very verge of the town. The area of the tailing pond covers around 57 Ha and it is partially recultivated (approximately 7 Ha). It contains about 27 million tons of flotation tailing. Reconstruction and Remediation of the Mining Waste Dumps Remediation of the Old Flotation Tailing Pond Bor

12. While the ore was exploited on the open-pit mine Bor, there were the overburden the waste rock dumping done on the following locations: “Visokiplanir”, “Severniplanir”, “Planir RTH” On all locations, there were dumped 250 million tones of overburden. The area of all these locations amounts to 180 Ha. Reconstruction and Remediation of the Mining Waste Dumps Remediation of the Overburden Dump from the Open-Pit Mine Bor

13. . Dilemma: Recycling or Reclamation? The author's reflections: 1. Recycling with complex valorisation. The answer is YES 2. Recycling with low mass recovery and a large amount of waste. The answer is NO Then YESrecultivation Conclusion