Improving Soil Quality and Erosion with Mine Reclamation
The Indonesian government has clearly regulated mining reclamation that must be carried out by mining owners and companies after exploiting the natural products of an area.
Reclamation or repair of mines is an important thing to do so that the ecosystem is not damaged due to exploitation. This has been clearly regulated in the 1967 Law no. 11, Law of 1982 No. 4, and the 1992 Law No. 24.
In this case, any reclamation that is conducted must be environmentally friendly and in accordance with the stages it should be. What are the stages? Let’s see the explanation below!
Steps Taken in Mine Reclamation
There are five stages of reclamation that must be carried out so that the environment can return to what it was before exploitation by mining companies. This reclamation activity must be carried out by the mining company itself with the following stages:
1. Reclamation Inspection and Planning
Before starting the activity of returning ex-mining land, the thing that needs to be done is to conduct an inspection first. Because there are several main factors that affect mine reclamation, such as:
- Type of soil
- Climatic conditions
- Fauna and flora
- Geology
- Natural shape
- Spatial
- Land use
- Ground and surface water
Each of these factors should be checked by conducting research beforehand. After that, you can carry out the reclamation planning that has been prepared. It is very important to make a plan in advance so that the activities are really directed.
2. Plant Revegetation
The initial step that must be taken as the beginning of environmental improvement after exploration of agricultural products is to carry out plant revegetation, called replanting local plants.
It is very important for the initial stage of mine reclamation to be carried out according to the rules. It is conducted by adjusting the plants to the natural surroundings so that plants can adapt more easily.
For example, local plants that are easy to adapt are laban, kerumbi, merambung, and there are 43 other types of local plants that can be used in the revegetation stage.
In addition to preparing plants, it is also important to prepare the land so that it is ready for planting. Mapping and securing the land must be done so that the land is completely ready for planting and there is no erosion.
3. Synergy of Human Effort with Nature
The next stage is to synergize between humans and nature resources. For example, planting fruit trees on ex-mining land so that when they bear fruit they attract the attention of birds or bats.
These flying animals often bring seeds from the surrounding forest so it is very useful for mine reclamation since it will grow new trees in that location.
4. Utilizing Microorganisms
All living things in the world have benefits for nature. Such as microorganisms that turn out to have the function of bringing phosphorus and nitrogen from the soil to plants naturally.
Types of microorganisms that have benefits for the environment are fungi, such as eupenicillium, penicillium, and aspergillus fungi. All of those three help the formation of minerals in the soil and decompose organic matter.
5. Phytoremediation
The next step for mine reclamation is phytoremediation, which is using green plants with chlorophyll to absorb various pollutants from the rest of the mine.
It is no longer a strange thing that the ex-mining land will be arid and polluted, so we need pollution-absorbing plants to fix it. With the absorption of pollution, it will be easier for the location to return to its original state.
An example of an activity that can be done is planting water hyacinth to help absorb pollution from water. This plant is very good for planting in post-mining areas that cause waterlogging.
Mining companies have full responsibility to restore ex-mining land to its original state. Therefore, a reclamation plan must be owned before the exploitation process is carried out.
Most mining companies are probably inexperienced in doing this and so don’t know how to do it properly. Sucofindo is here to offer consulting services for post-mining land rehabilitation.
Sucofindo is an experienced service company capable of providing mining reclamation process planning solutions according to the correct stages and according to the rules set by the Government.
For more information about the remediation sector, you can read our article here. If you and your company need further information regarding our services, contact and consult about it here.
