Selection of environmentally safe open-pit technology for mining water-bearing deposits

Purpose.Substantiation of environmentally acceptable technologies for surface mining of water-bearing placer deposits, taking into account the parameters of mining systems elements and areas damaged during mining of mineral deposits. Methods. Selection of the most environmentally safe technology of surface mining is carried out with the help of technical analytical method by way of establishing parameters of mine workings and determining the instant area of workings for each technological scheme. Findings. To conduct the research, we proposed to use index Δ which compares the actual position of inter-ramp angles and the inside dump angles with the maximum permitted values. The dependences of concentration degree KK and area of workings Str on index Δ allow to infer that the technological scheme with a rotary excavator is more environmentally sound than the scheme with hydraulic excavators. Application of the former technological scheme makes it possible to reduce the area of disturbed lands by 8%. In the proposed scheme of mining Motronivske placer deposit, the concentration degree KK reaches the maximum value 0.7, which corresponds to the minimum area of workings. Originality.The most environmentally efficient technological scheme of surface mining deposits is the scheme with the highest mining concentration factor. Practical implications. The results of the conducted research are of considerable practical value for the companies engaged in mining horizontal water-bearing deposits, which leads to disturbance of large land areas. In selecting a rational technological scheme for the surface mining of mineral deposits, it is proposed to consider not only economic indicators, but also the possibility of the disturbed land areas reduction.