Press release – Over the past 13 years, ALROSA has allocated more than 950 million rubles (about $15 million) for the implementation of a program to reclaim, eliminate dusting facilities, and recreate a comfortable environment in the areas where the company operates.
Since 2006, ALROSA have been annually financing the land reclamation and the recovery of the habitat that was typical of the area before the start of diamond mining. Thus, over the past 13 years the company has allocated more than 950 million rubles for the restoration of the fertile layer and planting of dozens of grasses, shrubs and trees in the areas, where its mining and processing divisions are located. The land reclamation also took place in exploration and capital development areas. The total area of reclaimed land during this time exceeded 4 million square meters.
“When mining operations are completed, the company must restore and then return the area back to the owner (municipality or forestry enterprise). This is a policy of conducting business and ability to implement socially oriented activities. To the year 2002, the main concept of reclamation of disturbed lands was to carry out only a technical stage for further overgrowth. In 2002, reclamation became more complex with phased implementation of works combining both technical and biological reclamation. Today, the company reclaims land, water reservoirs and integrity of land after exploration,” explained Nadezhda Liss, Chief Specialist for land reclamation and resources management of ALROSA.
She also noted that the company’s employees are involved in land restoration: they are engaged in sowing the territory, preparing the fertile layer, taking measurements of plants, tying up young trees, etc. For example, young specialists helped with land restoration at the mining and processing division in Udachny. At the placer deposit near Mirny a site for land reclamation was created. To restore the fertile layer and plant composition, the company buys flowering plant seeds, bushes and tree seedlings.
The reclamation of the territories began in Mirny, where almost all the dump grounds of the Mir open-pit have now been reclaimed. The reclamation of the Udachny open-pit dump grounds has also begun, and dump grounds of International open-pit were partially restored.
Up to 2029, ALROSA plans to restore and rehabilitate 4,290 hectares of land in exploration areas. The company will restore the fertile layer and set out the plants in the territories where tailings of the processing plants in Mirny and Aikhal located.
