The company “Zijin Mining” announced that the Chukaru Peki mine will be the first green mine in Serbia and the Balkans, that is, a mine that is completely ecological.
The company states that the goal is to completely green the surface of the mine and make it into parks and gardens, as well as to water the shafts that are no longer in use, that is, to fill them with a mixture of tailings and cement.
The greater part, i.e. 90 percent of the tailings, which remains as a by-product after copper extraction, is used for the paste used to fill the mine shafts.
In this way, soil subsidence is prevented and the surface of the mine remains as arable land where it is possible to plant low and tall vegetation, said the mine management. According to them, there is zero pollution because the most modern technologies and machines are used in mining.
“Zijin“ said that in the coming period, they will pay special attention to the ecology and greening of the mine areas, which will cost tens of millions of dollars. According to CEO Yong Chen, the company’s desire is for the Chukaru Peki mine to become an example in Europe and the world.
“We want the mine to be in the form of a park and a garden.” “That it changes every year because different plants and crops will be planted,” Chen said. He added that there are currently 110 Chinese working in management, but that the tendency is to reduce that number, and to give a chance to people from Serbia.