INVESTMENTS IN ECOLOGY

09.12.2011

Zvezda Priirtyshiya Newspaper, #137 dated November 29, 2011.

 

Bogatyr Coal, LLP, the joint venture of the Kazakhstani company Samruk-Energo and the Russian company RusAl, pays a lot of attention to the implementation of the program of environmental protection, particularly, to the issues of environmental safety at the operations, creation of conditions for improvement of the ecological situation in the region. Over 1 billion KZT will be spent for these purposes by the end of the current year.

In September 2011 the fourth supervisory international audit on ISO 14001:2004 was carried out, which evaluated the performance of Bogatyr Coal, LLP in the environmental realm positively.

It should be noted that the environmental problems are always in the limelight of the miners. One of the significant challenges is the external waste dumps of Severny coal mine formed for over half a century of Ekibastuz coal mines operations. They were the ones to be the source of environmental pollution for several tens of years. Currently the dumps are under the reclamation.

Bogatyr Coal, LLP has developed the measures directed at the further reduction of negative impact of the currently operating waste dumps on environment. For example, the works are continued on technical and biological reclamation of the decommissioned Kovylny dump. Its area is over 700 ha. Being the dust source, it is also dangerous because of appearance of endogenous fires and emissions of combustion products into the atmosphere. The scientists have not so far invented the reliable way to once and for all prevent the spontaneous combustion of coal mass in overburden rock. But there are efficient methods to fight with endogenous fires, which the miners apply successfully.

Last year in the company the section on prevention of endogenous fires at the dumps was formed. The special machinery was purchased, including the compactor envisaged for provision of high quality soil compaction at the dumps and on the areas with a moderate angle of slope. Daily, meter by meter, the section employees gradually isolate the fire hazards and their occurrences. Thousands of cubic meters of clay rocks are brought and thoroughly compacted by the unit. The thickness of such a layer reaches one meter. In such a way the access of oxygen into the dump is blocked, and by this the process of coal spontaneous combustion is also blocked.  

It is worthy of note that beginning from 2011 the biological reclamation started at Kovylny dump. This year alone over three million tenge was spent for these purposes. To the area of 27 ha the fertile soil layer was brought. For several years it will be covered with grass with powerful root system, which will gradually fix the soil from outblowing by the wind, by this it will prevent the dust getting into the environment air medium.

Bogatyr Coal, LLP spent over 38 million tenge for the technical reclamation of the dump in 2010. For 10 months of 2011 – over 30 million tenge. The works will be continued until the full completion of the reclamation process and passing the dump into the municipal property of Ekibastuz town.

Such a huge enterprise, as Bogatyr Coal, LLP, inevitably faces other environmental challenges. Particularly, the major overhaul was carried out in the boiler shop of Bogatyrskaya rail station. For a year and a half six cyclone collectors were replaced at the boiler shops. The expenditures for these measures made around 5,5 million tenge. Thanks to it the efficiency of purification of discharging smoke gases is currently 85-86%. At the same time the people stopped using asbestos-containing materials for boiler lining in all the boiler shops of the enterprise. The safe vermiculite is used instead.

This year the miners of the company resolved one more problem – the release of oil products in waste water. For instance, for Bogatyrskaya station the company purchased a special device – oil products separator, which allows preventing the release of hazard substances into Akbidaik lake. The so called oil separator was installed and put in operations at the Plant for Mining and Transportation Equipment Maintenance in July 2011, which is capable to trap production wastes. 

Lately Bogatyr Coal, LLP actively works on redevelopment, reconstruction and renovation of its territories. Those, who happen to visit the industrial sites of Bogatyr Coal, LLP, can personally evaluate what has been done there. For example, the miners accomplished the huge volume of works on repair of buildings and structures, landscaping of the territories for the 40-th anniversary of Bogatyr coal mine. The next step was the works on redevelopment of the territory of Bogatyr Loading and Transportation Department and Yuzhnaya rail station. The administrative building and canteens had the major overhaul, the whole adjacent territory was brought in order, several tens of various types of trees and bushes were planted, the flower beds and laws were made. 

But the miners are not intended to stop here. They developed the program of further landscaping industrial sites of Bogatyr Coal, LLP, according to which over 10 thousand trees and bushes will be planted here in 2012-2013. Not waiting for the New Year arrival, the employees of the coal mine, car fleet, Bogatyr Loading and Transportation Department and Power Supply Department have already started preparing the territory for the forthcoming campaign. There is no doubt that the currently existing oasis in the steppe, where the Tien Shan fir trees, pine-trees, birch-trees, and ashberry-trees are grown, will tomorrow become even more green and beautiful place, just at the slope of Bogatyr mine.

A lot has been done, but still there are some problems. The company actively responds to the comments given by the Irtysh Ecology department, makes everything to eliminate them timely, minimize risks of negative situations, which may negatively impact the environmental situation at the enterprise.

 

Sergey Zarapin,

Technical Director of Bogatyr Coal, LLP