Zlaté Hory

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Zlaté Hory Area on the Map

Location: The Olomouc Region, Jeseník area, and the Moravian-Silesian Region, Bruntál area.

Brief history

The first instances of panning and shallow mining for gold in these areas happened in the 13th century. In the 16th century, underground gold mining began as well as mining for Cu, Pb and Ag ore. At the end of the 19th century, iron ore mining developed. Modern age mining began in 1952 with prospecting drilling for copper at the Zlaté Hory (ZH) – South site and ZH – Hornické Skály site, Cu, Pb, Zn, Ag ore at the ZH – East site and Cu, Pb, Zn, Au ore at ZH – West. Mining was initiated in 1965 at ZH-South, in 1981 at ZH – Hornické Skály and in 1988 at the polymetallic site ZH – East.

Mining monometallic Cu site was finished on 30 June 1990 and at ZH – East on 30 June 1992. Mining at the polymetallic site ZH – West (mostly Au, and some Cu and Zn) took place from1990 until 1993. 7,184.4 kt of ore were extracted, of which 6,412.8 kt were from monometallic sites, 127.9 kt polymetallic at ZH – East and 643.7 kt from the polymetallic site ZH – West. The deposit was accessed by four shafts, 14 adits, four winzes and 11 chimneys. The area of both mining sites amounted to 3.1 km2. The present day area of ZH – East is 0.137 km2.

Type of activity

  • Underground mining of colored metal and gold ore.
  • Open chamber with flat floor method. The ore was processed on site at a floatation plant.
  • Waste was transferred to tailings impoundments O1 and O3.

Present-day conditions

Between 1990 and 2005, monometallic sites at ZH – South and ZH – Hornické Skály started to be dismantled, after which followed the polymetallic sites at ZH – East, the dismantling of the mines and surface structures at the polymetallic site at ZH – West and the Pomocná and Těžní shafts as well as the Úvodní winzes. The final phase of remediation work is in progress (completion of dismantling, reclamation), and should be finished by 2011. Mine water treatment, the filling of mine tunnels and long-term monitoring are also underway.

The Environmental Problem and its Solution

Mine Water

A drainage adit conducts contaminated mine water to a treatment station after which the treated water is released into the Zlatý stream.

 
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