304 geomorphological reshaping, application of a topsoil layer, and the establishment of stable vegetation cover. These measures resulted in the successful rehabilitation of the site, transforming it into an environmentally stable landform that is currently well integrated into the natural landscape. To sustain ongoing production, the Benkovski 2 tailings storage facility was subsequently commissioned. This facility receives flotation tailings derived from the processing of ores from the Ellatzite porphyry-copper deposit and represents a large-scale engineered structure with a designed area of nearly 490 ha and a total capacity exceeding 312 million m³. The storage facility is subdivided into two operational compartments, Ai Dere and Suludja Dere, which are alternately utilized based on annual operational planning. Tailings are transported via a hydrotransport system as a slurry with a solids-to-water ratio of approximately 1:3. Upon deposition, the slurry undergoes natural segregation, with coarser sand fractions forming the dam embankment prism and finer materials settling upstream toward the decant lakes. Since its inception, Benkovski 2 has been operated in accordance with contemporary environmental management practices, emphasizing continuous monitoring and proactive measures to reduce environmental impacts.
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