Assessing the Impact of the Kola Mining and Metallurgical Company (Severonickel) on the Environment

• Main Author: Tropina, Yulia
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: 2011
• Subjects: Imandra; Kola Peninsula; Monchegorsk; Murmansk; Norilsk; Nyud; Western Basin; kola peninsula; norilsk
• Online Access: https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/28374/; https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/28374/1/2011_Tropina-Yulia_MSc-Thesis.pdf; https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/28374/2/2011_Tropina-Yulia_MSc-Thesis_Abstract_en.doc

Monchegorsk geographically located in the central part of the Kola Peninsula. Production units are situated on one industrial area, located in the central part of the Kola Peninsula in the north-western basin of Lake Imandra. Residential zone consists of Monchegorsk and Moncha city (district of the city), located at a distance of 3-6 km from the plant. Severonickel located in the Lake Nyud and until 1995 had few sewage in the northern part of the lake. Environmental work has led to a reduction of sewage in the northern part of the lake. Now Severonickel has one discharge of wastewater from the process tank (the southern part of Lake Nyud) through overflow pipe of the dam. Mining, concentrating and smelting units are concentrated at Nickel and Zapolyarnyi sites. Refinery units are concentrated at the Monchegorsk site. The loading of refining units is provided by recycling of their own matte and the "GMK" Norilsk Nickel " matte. The main production of Severonickel is the imported copper-nickel processing to produce the products the non-ferrous metals and concentrates of precious metals. The impact of smokes goes from a great variety of anthropogenic factors. Before construction the city to coal-mining complex, this region have been exposed to fire and selective felling only. In conjunction with logging in these areas there were the impact of other factors: smoke, pollution, mechanical damage to vegetation and soils, and in some cases, changes in the moisture regime, which was expressed as a change in groundwater levels and changes in drainage of soil by compaction, mixing, creating structural supports and the removal or carrying in the organic substrates (peat extraction, landfills making, mixing or removal of top soil horizons, etc.). Now overall, the area was covered with 3593 ha fire, and felling - 5283 ha, which is respectively 58.5% and 86% of study forest area in the past (6142 ha). Imandra Lake is the largest water object in Murmansk region for fishing and drinking purposes, with an area of 885 square km. ...