A full Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) was completed for Pokrovskiy Gold Mine in early 1997 by AATA International, designed to meet both Russian and World Bank Group environmental and social requirements. The EIA consultation and disclosure process was conducted to satisfy both Russian and World Bank Group requirements, with assistance from IFC specialists. Environmental management was audited by SRK in February 1997 and by Micon in March 2002 and again in March 2004.
Key issues receiving adequate environmental management at Pokrovskiy Gold Mine are as follows:
- Mining:
Topsoil is stripped and stored in a dedicated area for re-use during the reclamation phase. Waste rock has negligible acid mine drainage potential, due to low sulphide content. It is stored in waste rock dump areas which are surrounded by cut-off drains that are diverted to a pollution control dam to reduce sedimentation of the local creek. This creek has been diverted around the open pit area, according to a formal plan and justification submitted to the Russian authorities. Pit dewatering occurs, producing potable quality water which is either used as process water or discharged to the creek. A reclamation plan and cost estimate was produced by SRK in 1998 and accepted by the authorities.
- Ore processing:
Ore is crushed and milled before being processed using resin-in-pulp technology. Low-grade ore is crushed, screened and stacked onto heap-leach pads for leaching using a cyanide solution which is then sent to the resin-in-pulp plant for gold removal. The heap leach pads are underlain by compacted clay and a 1 mm polyethylene liner, and surrounded by a 1m deep cut-off trench. There is a lined emergency containment pond adjacent to each pad. Cyanide is brought to site via the Trans-Siberian Railroad, followed by a short truck journey. Its use is highly regulated, involving an emergency response plan, air and water monitoring.
- Tailings management:
Cyanide (CN) is mostly destroyed using a formaldehyde process prior to being piped in an insulated double-layer slurry pipeline to the tailings impoundment. Emergency containment ponds have been constructed along the pipeline route in case of a pipe rupture. The tailings impoundment has a natural clay liner 5-10 m thick. The design of this impoundment has been approved and registered by the Federal authorities and is designed to meet World Bank Group guidelines. CN levels in the tailings impoundment are monitored regularly in both the surface and groundwater sampling points around the tailings impoundment and fall well below allowable limits. To date, no cyanide contamination of surface or ground waters has been detected since the commencement of operations in 1999.
- Air and water monitoring:
The mine conducts regular internal monitoring of atmospheric and workplace air quality, surface water quality and groundwater quality from a comprehensive network of sampling points, according to a strict schedule and set of parameters agreed annually with the Ministry of Natural Resources. Internal monitoring occurs daily (surface water) or weekly (air samples, groundwater), with samples being analyzed on site by the mine’s certified analytical laboratory. External monitoring by two independent agencies is conducted on a quarterly basis, and the results are reported to the regulatory authorities. Most stationary and mobile sources of atmospheric emissions have been fitted with gas purification units.
- Waste management:
All sewage and organic waste is treated in a ‘biodisk’ plant on site, with the dried sludge either being used as fertilizer or incinerated and the waste water being recycled as process water. The remainder of the mine’s domestic waste is disposed of at the town of Tygda, 10 km away. Used oils are either filtered and re-used or taken with used grease to an asphalt plant in the town of Zeya, 90 km from site. Mercury bulbs are taken to the regional capital of Blagoveschenk for disposal. Waste metal is generally re-used or sold to scrap metal dealers. The mine records all types of industrial, domestic and hazardous wastes handled, according to Russian Federal law, and reports this data annually.
- Occupational Health & Safety (OHS):
The mine has a Department of Industrial Safety comprising an assistant chief engineer for technical safety, two technical safety engineers and two fire safety inspectors. In addition, a permanent executive committee has been established to oversee production and workplace safety. The mine has an ambulance and two doctors on duty during each shift, as well as an emergency response plan covering possible workplace accidents. It is understood that personal protective equipment (PPE) is issued to staff; however the observed use of PPE - i.e. hard hats, hearing protection, gloves, eye protection, masks / respiratory protection – did not live up to IFC expectations. PHM has agreed to review this element of their OHS system, in order to comply with industry good practice.
- Public consultation and disclosure:
Initial public consultation and disclosure arrangements prior to mine development were compliant with IFC’s requirements. Subsequently, Pokrovskiy management has organized monthly site visits for a range of interested parties, including administrators, medical doctors, schoolchildren, biology teachers, public figures and others. Some early (pre-development) mis-perceptions about possible links between cyanide use and radiation were dispelled through this open-house system, which has coupled as a valuable training exercise for schools on the management of environmental impacts. There were no known public complaints against the mine at the time of IFC’s appraisal mission in November 2004.
- Local Economic Development
The Amur Region is sparsely populated and none of PHM’s developments is anticipated to involve direct negative socio-economic impacts.
Positive socio-economic impacts associated with PHM activities include:
Employment of 1200 employees (including contractors) by Pokrovskiy Rudnik, comprising two 15-day shifts of 500 persons each and including a total of 230 from Tygda. The remainder of the workforce comes from Magdagachi, Zeya, Blagoveschensk (the Regional capital) and elsewhere in Far East Russia. Nno expatriates are currently employed locally by PHM.
Social investments of ~ $750 000 which form part of the company’s licensing agreements with local municipalities. For example, in Tygda the PHM has constructed a school and a fire station, assisted with the development of a pre-school, provided hospital equipment, assistance to world war veterans and contributed toward cultural events.
Generation of regional tax revenues: Pokrovskiy Gold Mine alone contributes 4 % of the Gross Regional Product of the Amur Region. The Governor of Amur has indicated his full support for the mine, emphasizing the social value of its tax contributions and mentioning that the mine has re-invested much of its profit in the region.
Generation of district-level benefits: Pokrovskiy contributes 40 % of the total budget for Magadachi District, making it one of a handful of districts in the Amur Region which does not rely on Federal funding sources. Demand from the mine for fresh vegetables and meat has also allowed the District to re-develop a 145-year old agricultural co-operative originally started by the Cossacks. The mine also pays for basic service provision by the District (telephone, power, mail and refuse removal), and the District benefits from the purchasing power of the relatively large, well-paid mine workforce. Pokrovskiy has also participated in the development of social infrastructure in Magdagachi, the District capital.
