Yuzhnyi Kazakhstan (Shymkent), No.67 (18609), 05.06.2009
Pond is Changing Its Location /I. Stavrinaki/
On Monday there was a solemn ceremony to sign contracts for construction and installation work under the project for relocation of the waste water evaporation pond from the area of the Koksarai impoundment to the territory of Ordabassy District. The new location of the evaporation pond is near the Kalash Station 65 kilometers far from Shymkent or 30 kilometers far from Arys.
Two contractors out of 16 bidders won in the open tender. AiK-Stroi TOO (managed by K.Akhmet) and GeoArkh-Proyekt TOO (represented by P.Pernebayev) have appropriate licenses, experience and a sufficient material and technical base. The Koksarai impoundment is one of the facilities at which they earned their reputation. Also according to the contract the directors of these companies will employ workers for construction purposes from amongst the local population. PetroKazakhstan Oil Products TOO will spend about 440 million tenge on this project. As it has been committed the whole volume of the planned work shall be completed before October 1, 2009.
According to Vice-President of PKOP TOO, A.Akishev, PetroKazakhstan Oil Products TOO fully supports the initiative of the President of Kazakhstan, N.Nazarbayev, to resolve issues related to spring floods. The construction of the impoundment is the only correct solution to this problem that has been lasting for years. First of all it is implemented for the benefit of population that has been suffering from high water and floods. Besides, significant funds from the state budget are spent to eliminate the consequences of emergencies.
The waste water evaporation pond located on 500 ha occurred in the territory of the Koksarai impoundment, and certainly it had to be moved to another location. It took time and efforts to select such location.
‘There were several options that we looked at. We had to take many factors into account, first of all – ecological ones. Before choosing the final option our company had agreed the new location with all relevant ministries and the South Kazakhstan Oblast Akimat. A preliminary environmental impact assessment was made for the evaporation pond. Based on experts’ evaluation it cannot do any harm, since all water coming into it will be going through several treatment stages. Of course such water cannot be used for drinking and it will be impossible to bathe in the pond, but it will be possible to use that water for watering of industrial crops. PKOP employees told about these conditions at public hearings to the people that live in the rural district in the territory of which a new facility will appear’, shared his information the Director of Ecology and Environment, A.Yemberdiyev.
Furthermore, by implementing its commitments PetroKazakhstan Oil Products TOO, after a part of the pipeline supplying water to the old evaporation pond is dismantled, will do reclamation of soils located under it. And in the future the refinery is planning to increase its recycled water utilization ratio, which will allow reducing the quantity of recycled water supplied to the evaporation pond.
PKOP strives for reducing its negative impact on the environment to zero; therefore it addresses ecological issues not in isolation from its operations, but on a constant basis.
The fact that the new evaporation pond is being constructed in compliance with all the canons, of which the main one is not to do any harm to people and the environment, makes everyone believe that the rule of four ‘R’s (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Recover) is rigorously followed. The requirements to the contractors that will do the construction part will also be tough. PKOP will control the quality of the work and the dates of the facility commissioning.