Environmental protection measures in mineral resource development: case study of a gold-bearing deposit in the Russian Far East

In the Russian mining industry, the recent social and economic processes inevitably affect environmental safety and the social security of all those affected by mining. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the technogenic impacts of a mining company on the environment. Measures were developed and implemented to ensure ecological safety and social security during a mineral resource development project in the southern part of the Russian Far East. This study analysed global experiences in this regard and carried out field research with the aim of establishing an inventory of plants and animals (terrestrial and aquatic), showing that technogenesis produced new specific landforms, e.g. quarries and dumps that replaced natural landforms. The main ecologically negative impacts of the mining operations in the region were the movement of mountain masses, changes in forms of erosion, and destruction of mountain ranges with the formation of dispersed clastic fractions of large specific surface areas, which determine exomorphodynamic processes, e.g. deflation, suffusion, and landslides. A general assessment of the biota status and natural water quality within the boundaries of influence of the developed deposit was presented, and a set of measures was recommended for environmental protection and ensuring the rational use of natural resources during mining operations. Moreover, the necessity of creating effective mining and environmental monitoring systems was supported. A ‘Map of the Ecological State of Gold Mining Development in the Albazino Territory’ was compiled for the first time, pinpointing areas undergoing various degrees of environmental stress. Changes in the forested areas within the territory of the mining allotment were forecast using the forest cover of the study area as the baseline.