By the end of November 2023, the rehabilitation of "Nahatak" tailing dump operated by "Akhtala Mining and Processing Plant" CJSC should be accomplished. "Environmental Impact Assessment Center" SNCO of RA Environment Ministry has issued a positive expert opinion BP 0132-21 to the environmental impact assessment report of "Nahatak" tailing dump reclamation works. According to the conclusion, the rehabilitation of the tailing dump should last 2.4 years.
Reminder: this tailing dump should have been reclaimed in March 2020, according to expert positive conclusion entitled "Environmental Impact Assessment Report of Shamlugh Underground Mine with a Productivity of Up to 500.0 Thousand Tons/Year" BP 77 dated on 17.09.2018. However, the tailing dump was not rehabilitated by continuing to store waste at Akhtala Ore Processing Plant.
If previously it was mentioned that "Nahatak" tailing dump occupies an area of 13.7 hectares, but according to this expert opinion, the area subject to reclamation of the tailings dump is 17.83 hectares. The tailing dump covered the local pasture with toxic waste. The natural source of drinking water for decades near the tailing dump in Mets Ayrum village has remained under the tailing dump.
Prior to the reclamation of this toxic object, it is planned to conduct tailing dump research, eliminate deficiencies, and, if necessary, carry out additional work to increase the stability of the dam.
The company preferred to cover the tails with a fertile layer of soil. For this purpose, it intends to use 28580 cubic meters of fertile soil removed during the construction of Alaverdi-Akhtala highway.
In the second stage of reclamation, the works will start after the wet surface of the tailings dam dries naturally. According to the document, the drying of the tails by water removal will lead to additional pollution of the Debed River water with industrial wastewater.
There is no expert opinion on the pollution of the waters of the Debed River with industrial wastewater, on the measures to be taken in case of pollution detected during the monitoring, as well as on how to eliminate the damage already caused to the areas adjacent to the tailing dump, the pollution already existing in the Debed and Nahatak Rivers and the damage caused to the health of the local population.
Reminder: in 2018-2020 the research carried out by "ARNIKA" organization substantiate the presence of contaminants of mining objects in Akhtala Community, in a number of settlements in Alaverdi Community located at a distance of 50-100 m away from "Nahatak" tailing dump, presence of contaminants of mining objects in the soil, their distribution in soil, fruit and vegetable. Contamination with copper, zinc, molybdenum, lead and arsenic has been found both in the sediments of the Debed River and in the soil. In some soil samples, the arsenic concentration alone was 70 times higher than the standard.
Arsenic samples from the residents of the Akhtala community were found to contain 6-58 μg/g creatinine. The highest rates were recorded among children living near Nahatak Tailing Dump.
November 22, 2021 at 11:28