Tailing dumps of the tyrnyauz tungsten-molybdenum mining and processing complex: Current state and outlooks

• Main Authors: NS Bortnikov (Author), AG Gurbanov (Author), Alexander Y Dokuchaev (Author)
• Format: Book
• Published: Global Journal of Ecology - Peertechz Publications, 2020-10-23.
• Subjects: Mini Review
• Online Access: Connect to this object online.

<p>The Tyrnyauz W-Mo deposit was developed by opencast and underground mines until 2003. The assets of the Tyrnyauz Tungsten-Molybdenum Mining and Processing Complex (TTMC) include two tailing dumps: Tailing 2 (housed on the left-hand side of the Baksan River valley, 2 km south of the settlement of Bylym) and Supertailing 2 (a superdump housed in the valley of the Gizhgit River, a left-hand tributary of the Baksan River).</p><p>The height of the rock-filling dam of Supertailing 1 reaches 160 m. A pond on its top protects the ecosystems from the wind erosion of the dumped industrial wastes. The protecting pond is equipped with a tunnel drainage system, which is used to discharge excess water to the Baksan River, to a certain technological water level in the pond.</p><p>Shallow-focus earthquakes (with M = 5-7) and/or debris and mud flows are able to destroy the dam, and this will result in the transfer of toxic compounds to the Baksan River and water-bearing Quaternary alluvial rocks in the foredeep, where the river flows into the plain.</p><p>The following soil contamination sources were identified: (1) Winds continuously blowing along the Baksan valley erode fines where the recultivation layer of Tailing 2 is disturbed and in the beach parts of Supertailing 1; the extent of this contamination varies from hundreds of meters to a few kilometers; (2) Massive blasting operations at the opencast mines before 2003 resulted in atmospheric emissions of dust clouds with ore minerals; this pollutions extends for dozens of kilometers (along the valleys of the Baksan River and its tributaries).</p><p>The most ecologically hazardous emissions are those of quartz dust and dust with heavy-metal minerals, including sulfides. A method for utilizing TTMC wastes was engineered and patented. The results provide a basis for designing measures aimed at decreasing the adverse load on the ecosystems in the Elbrus area, which is highly attractive to tourists.</p>