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ESIA and quarry rehabilitation in Antea (Antea cement plant, Albania)
To be fully effective, rehabilitation planning should begin as early as possible in the quarry life cycle and be reviewed and updated on an ongoing basis. A successful rehabilitation plan should ideally commence prior to operation. as part of the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA).
For the Antea “greenfield” project of the TITAN Group in Albania, an ESIA was conducted in 2008 to cover the entire project, while focused Environmental Impact Assessment Studies and Quarry Management Plans were developed for the two associated quarries, in line with the Environmental and Social Action Plan. The Quarry Management Plans (QMPs) for both quarries were completed in 2010 and comprised a structured and practical desk study, providing planning outlines, aligned with national legislation and also conforming to TITAN Group best practices for quarry development and rehabilitation. The QMPs included the overall (long-term) mine plans, the detailed five year plans and the first year of quarry operations (focus annual plan), and aimed at ensuring and presenting a rational plan for quarry depletion, mine scheduling and rehabilitation-reforestation of benches.
According to the field investigation results and the ESIA, the specific sites proposed for the project development (cement plant and quarries) were not designated as conservation areas and were not considered to be “Critical Habitat” as defined by IFC’s Performance Standard 6 “Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Natural Resources Management”. Two flora species that are included in the Red List of Albania, namely Quercus ilex (holly or holm oak) and Salvia officinalis (sage) have been recorded on project-affected sites. These species were recommended for use during rehabilitation practices and planning, for planting along with other species.
Although the quarries are still at the very early stage of development, rehabilitation practices are already being applied in the upper (depleted) benches of the Antea quarries, with the aforementioned species being planted. Planting will proceed in line with the quarry development.
Quarry rehabilitation is today an integral part of the Antea Plant Environmental Management System (EMS) incorporating all relevant procedures, working instructions and monitoring practices for the quarries’ rehabilitation, ensuring implementation of plans, progressive landscaping and reclamation for mined-out areas.
