Ecological/economical Assessment of Pit Waters (the Ural Copper Pyrite Watersealed Mines as a Study Case)
Worked-out copper pyrite mines are one of the considerable sources of hydrosphere pollution. Analysis of components of the environmental damage to surface water bodies due to treated pit water discharge has been carried out. Environmental damage to water bodies caused by the Levikha and Degtyarsk mines pit water discharge both during the mines operation and after watersealing of them is assessed in 100–200 million rubles per year? And the value of the prevented environmental damage is one order of magnitude higher. Individual components contribution to environmental damage has been determined: during the mines operation cooper was the main pollutant, after the pumping termination zinc became the main pollutant. It has been stated that pit water is a reliable renewable source of non-ferrous metals and rare earth elements and can be considered a hydro/mineral raw material deposit. Commercial content of non-ferrous metals and rare earth elements in the watersealed copper pyrite mines has been estimated. Total recoverable value of non-ferrous metals and rare earth elements in the Levikha mine pit water exceeds 4 million US dollars per year. Rare earth elements comprise the main share. It has been shown that potential recoverable value of the components exceeds cost of annual neutralization of acidic pit water and the value of environmental damage caused by the treated pit water discharge.