Kaplunov D. R., Chairman of the Section on Problems of Kursk Magnetic Anomaly of the Scientific Council of the Russian Academy of Sciences on Problems of Mining Sciences, corresponding member of Russian Academy of Sciences, phone: +7 (495) 630-08-23,  Institute of Comprehensive Exploitation of Mineral Resources of the Russian Academy of Sciences; Leyzerovich S. G., Head of Laboratory of Underground Mining, Scientific Research Institute for the Kursk Magnetic Anomaly, Tomaev V. K., Managing Director, Sidorchuk V. V., First Deputy Managing Director, Candidate of Engineering Sciences, Combine “KMAruda”

The Kursk Magnetic Anomaly basin is one of the largest iron ore provinces in the world where there are four mining and processing enterprise, which produces more than half of marketable ore Russian Federation. Their main source of raw materials in the nearest medium term and long-term are ferruginous quartzites. The advantage of the development of quartzites of Kursk Magnetic Anomal is that they are mined in large quantities in the open pits with low cost of mining operations and provide high quality raw materials for industry. A significant drawback of such a proceeding is confiscation of land, large amounts of waste and, consequently, significant environmental pollution by dust heaps, tailings, and a large water consumption. During 2007–2009 on the surface in the region of Kursk Magnetic Anomaly, more than 0.7 billion tons of waste has been stored. The persistence of these trends, the outlined production expansion and deepening of mining up to 600–700 meters will increase the volume of waste to be placed on the surface to 250–300 million tons per year, and this will continue for another 40–60 years or more. At the same time, joint-venture underground mining — Combine “KMAruda” — has shifted completely since 2009 to non-waste production of iron ore concentrate, concentrated by placing tailings in the mined-out space, and using only the back water in a volume of 2 million cubic meters per year, abandoning the external water sources in the amount of 30 million cubic meters per year. Processing plants in the region are close to the original boundaries of the rational design of surface mining (depth 500 meters). Gradual transition to a combined refinement of producing fields with the placement of tailings underground waste generated in the cells and the development of internal dumping is required. With the development of new deposits, the method should be chosen taking into account the environmental and economic factors.

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