On April 28, Zamur Chitanava, Mayor of Bolnisi Municipality, and Koba Muradashvili, Mayor of Dmanisi Municipality, visited RMG to learn about the company’s environmental activities.
The visit was planned jointly by RMG and the working group on pollution in the Kvemo Kartli region, established by the Georgian Parliament’s Committee on Environmental Protection and Natural Resources. The purpose of the visit was to provide the latest information about the company’s environmental activities to interested parties.
Representatives from the company’s Environmental Protection Department showed the guests all key locations on-site and provided a detailed overview of the company’s current environmental protection projects.
The company’s General Director, Joni Shubitidze, spoke to the guests about current challenges and future plans at a meeting held at the Kazreti office. He thanked all the stakeholders and noted that beyond the importance of production, environmental protection, labor safety and care for cultural heritage have become the company’s main priorities for the last many years, putting the company on the path to sustainable development.
As part of the visit, the guests visited the historic ore mine and the water treatment facilities and water retention infrastructure located at the foot of its 4th waste rock dump storage facility; reclamation works (greening works) at the #2 waste rock dump facility, the existing tailings storage facility, and the project for a new, dry tailings storage facility. They also toured the crushing plant and the leach pads at the RMG Gold enterprise unit.
“We introduced the visitors to our company’s environmental measures and how we minimize our environmental impact in our daily operations, in terms of protecting water, air, and soil. The purpose of the meeting is to ensure that local authorities are always informed about our environmental approaches, so they can, in turn, provide this information to the local population. It is important for us that the local community trusts that at every new location, the company will approach environmental protection with high standards.” – noted RMG’s Environmental Manager, Kote Khachapuridze.
It is important to note that the modern water treatment facilities, built at 4 different locations with the involvement of international experts and using modern technologies, protect the rivers Poladauri, Kazretula and Mashavera from runoff or industrial discharges.
To prevent the emission of dust and harmful substances, the automotive and internal quarry roads are systematically watered by specialized vehicles. Dust suppression systems are installed at the crusher plants, and water misting systems are set up at the open crusher nodes. Environmental monitoring of all the above-mentioned measures is conducted.
Important soil protection measures include the stabilization of tailings dumps, biological reclamation on the production site, and the operation of the existing nursery.
“We believe the local authorities should have comprehensive information on the results and challenges the company faces in its environmental efforts. Our working group has been monitoring the implementation of RMG’s environmental obligations since 2018, and for the sake of objectivity, it must be said, that a great deal has been done to reduce environmental risks, we also must not forget that we are dealing with mining operations, and therefore challenges will always exist. Although we constantly strive to provide the local population with more information on environmental issues, our efforts alone are not enough. Therefore, it is very important to keep the local authorities informed and actively involved in the process,” said Nino Burchuladze, head of the Pollution Working Group in Kvemo Kartli.