Land rehabilitation 469799 221281592 2008-06-23T21:02:32Z Jeroen 32955 +pl {{unreferenced|date=November 2006}} '''Land rehabilitation''' is the process of returning the land in a given area to some degree of its former state, after some process ([[industry]], [[natural disaster]]s etc.) has resulted in its damage. Many [[project]]s and [[Subdivision (land)|development]]s will result in the land becoming [[environmental degradation|degraded]], for example [[mining]], [[farming]] and [[forestry]]. While it is rarely possible to restore the land to its original condition, the rehabilitation process usually attempts to bring some degree of restoration. Modern methods have in many cases not only restored degraded land but actually improved it, depending on what criteria are used to measure 'improvement'. ==Mine rehabilitation== Modern mine rehabilitation aims to minimize and mitigate the environmental effects of modern mining, which may in the case of [[open pit]] mining involve movement of significant volumes of rock. Rehabilitation management is an ongoing process, often resulting in open pit mines being backfilled. After mining finishes, the mine area must undergo rehabilitation. * Waste dumps are contoured to flatten them out, to further stabilise them against [[erosion]]. * If the ore contains [[sulfides]] it is usually covered with a layer of [[clay]] to prevent access of [[rain]] and [[oxygen]] from the [[air]], which can [[Oxidation|oxidise]] the sulfides to produce [[sulfuric acid]]. * [[Landfill]]s are covered with [[topsoil]], and [[vegetation]] is planted to help consolidate the material. * Dumps are usually fenced off to prevent [[livestock]] denuding them of vegetation. * The open pit is then surrounded with a fence, to prevent access, and it generally eventually fills up with [[groundwater]]. * [[Tailings]] [[dam]]s are left to [[evaporate]], then covered with waste rock, clay if need be, and [[soil]], which is planted to stabilise it. For underground mines, rehabilitation is not always a significant problem or cost. This is because of the higher grade of the [[ore]] and lower volumes of waste rock and tailings. In some situations, [[stope]]s are backfilled with [[concrete]] [[slurry]] using waste, so that minimal waste is left at surface. The removal of [[Physical|plant]] and [[infrastructure]] is not always part of a rehabilitation programme, as many old mine plants have [[cultural heritage]] and [[cultural]] value. Often in [[gold]] mines, rehabilitation is performed by scavenger operations which treat the soil within the plant area for spilled gold using modified [[placer mining]] [[gravity]] collection plants. ==See also== * [[Restoration ecology]] * [[Reforestation]] * [[Land reclamation]] * [[Prairie restoration]] * [[Mine reclamation]] ==External links== * [http://www.waterlog.info/ Rehabilitation of waterlogged and saline soils], provides free downloads of software and articles on land drainage. * [http://www.biorecycleaustralia.com/forest.html Bio Recycle] * [http://www.sydneywater.com.au/EnsuringTheFuture/Biosolids/ Sydney Water BioSolids] [[Category:Construction]] [[Category:Environmental issues]] [[Category:Environmental soil science]] [[Category:Economic geology]] [[Category:Landscape]] [[ar:اعادة تأهيل الارض]] [[pl:Rekultywacja]]